In observation of Pollinator Week celebrated in late June, Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay honored the Swallowtail Butterfly, recently recognized as Pollinator of the Year. These pollinators rely heavily on native plants to thrive, making local conservation efforts critical to their survival.

“During Pollinator Week, we celebrate the incredible diversity of pollinators. From butterflies and bees to birds and bats that keep our habitats thriving,” said Ana Rojas, conservation and research specialist at Deering Estate. “By symbolically adopting a native pollinator, you directly contribute to increasing our native biodiversity and renovating our nursery.”

Visitors to Deering Estate most commonly will see the Giant Swallowtail and the Polydamas Swallowtail fluttering across the grounds. To attract these vibrant insects, the estate prioritizes native plantings, utilizing wild lime to attract the Giant Swallowtail. For the Polydamas, the estate maintains an active restoration project to repopulate the Marsh’s dutchman pipevine, an endemic South Florida vine that serves as a vital host plant. While the federally endangered Schaus’ Swallowtail currently resides only in a few keys within Biscayne National Park and the upper Keys, Deering Estate is planting torchwood, one of the butterfly’s preferred host plants. The ultimate goal is to build a habitat to one day attract the Schaus’ Swallowtail to the estate.

To support these ecological goals, Deering Estate is expanding its conservation initiatives through several key public programs and restoration projects, notably the Native Pollinator Habitat Restoration. Deering Estate is dedicated to expanding local ecosystems through its Propagation Station and Native Pollinator Nursery. Started in 2023, this dedicated on-site growing space has amassed over 40 species of native pollinator plants, serving simultaneously as an exhibit, an educational site, and an experimental lab for propagation techniques.

This project is part of the Parks for Pollinators Initiative by Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation, and Open Spaces. The initiative aims to transform the Addison Clearing into a flourishing oasis for habitat restoration and education.

“We want to transform the Addison Clearing from being just a nursery area to a flourishing oasis for habitat restoration and education,” Rojas said. “This space will be a functional nursery, pollinator sanctuary, and calm space for the everyday visitor.”

Deering Estate actively hosts community workshops and science surveys to keep the public in the loop. Partnering with the NABA Miami Blue Chapter for Annual Butterfly Counts, the estate offers a hands-on way for both expert and novice butterfly enthusiasts to learn about South Florida’s native species.

“We are proud to serve as a butterfly sanctuary in a highly urbanized area,” Rojas noted. “By providing native and Florida-friendly plants, we recorded the highest butterfly count, 297, in the 2026 NABA Miami Blue Coral Gables survey, and we will continue providing the best possible habitat.”

Additionally, Deering Estate partners with the UF/IFAS Master Gardener Program to present public Conservation Workshops focusing on pollinators and Florida Friendly Landscaping. To view the schedule, visit https://deeringestate.org/events/conservation-workshop-series/.

The estate relies on the dedication of community scientists to help monitor local ecology through a variety of ongoing initiatives. From June through September, seasonal Butterfly Walks are conducted on the fourth Saturday of each month. These guided tours offer community scientists the chance to spot and document species, such as the Ruddy Daggerwing, Dina Yellow, and Atala, and contribute their observations via iNaturalist.

Furthermore, Deering Estate actively participates in ongoing biodiversity counts, including NABA butterfly and Audubon bird surveys, while hosting regular bird walks to contribute to essential local ecological monitoring. To further round out these educational opportunities, visitors can learn more about supporting essential local insects by attending a Bee Workshop, with details available at https://deeringestate.org/events/workshop-2/.

Jack Penney is a junior at Florida Gulf Coast University pursuing a degree in journalism with a focus on sports media.

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