“Mental health has been a problem among college students even before the pandemic,” explained Maeve Maguire, a Brookdale student, President of The Innovation Network, and driving force behind the establishment of a new Butterfly Garden located at the Brookdale Campus in Lincroft. 

“The pandemic only made an existing problem worse and now a lot of students are struggling from the change, loss, and isolation exacerbated by the pandemic.  Originally, the idea was to create a butterfly garden to address their decline.  Then the pandemic made it clear that students needed a place to boost their mental health while on-campus and I realized that the garden would also make the perfect meditation space.”

After determination and perseverance through the pandemic, the Butterfly Garden is set to open in May 2021.

“Originally, the idea was to create a garden to attract butterflies due to the sharp decrease in butterfly populations, but with so many students suffering with anxiety and depression, I knew I wanted to create a garden on campus to provide a place to support, not just butterflies, but students in need.” Maeve went on to explain.

In addition to hosting an array of butterfly attracting native plants, the garden will host meditation and other mindfulness events open to Brookdale students.

Numerous studies point to what many of us intrinsically know, that nature helps improve our mental health and overall sense of wellbeing.  The simple act of sitting in a garden has powerful and swift impacts on our central nervous system that can quickly calm a worried mind. 

The garden boasts a colorful and fragrant array of native plants that is sure to attract butterflies, particularly Monarchs, that are facing sharp declines in population numbers due to loss of natural habitat, climate change, and pesticide usage. 

The garden, opening for the first time on May 11th, will provide a much needed reflective, restful, and environmentally sustainable place for students and butterflies to enjoy.

Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) congratulates Maeve, The Innovation Network, and Brookdale Community College on the grand opening of the garden.  MCF promotes the important role that nature helps in the health of people and wildlife.  For more information about how to plant a butterfly garden in your backyard or community, please visit our website that provides a plant list and other information.  

The Facts:

• Mental health studies reveal that as many as 71% of college students reported an increased level of stress, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• The number of migratory  Eastern Monarch Butterflies declined 80% over the past two years per the Center for Biological Diversity.  

• Studies show that spending time in nature significantly improves mental health of patients suffering from major depression.