Oregon Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits

The habitat kits are designed to create monarch and pollinator habitats in a variety of settings, including working lands, public lands, tribal lands, and private or non-working lands. Eligible locations include privately owned farms, ranches, forests, urban farms, community gardens, city parks, school gardens, and other public or shared community spaces. However, the kits are not intended for use in home gardens. 

Stewards of working lands are encouraged to use the resources available from organizations or entities that can provide additional technical support for their projects, such as Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs), The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), or other conservation organizations.

If you have questions about your project’s suitability or requests for technical guidance on your project, please email us at oregonhabitatkits@xerces.org.  

We currently have kits available for the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southern Oregon. Explore the map below to see if your project is within the Oregon habitat kit region.

Please note: If you do not see your region listed, we do not have kits suitable for your region. To express your interest in expanding the program in Oregon in the future, please fill out this interest form. If you meet the requirements this year and would like to submit a proposal form, please use the link below.

We have three types of habitat kits available and the contents of each kit type vary by project type. All kit types are available in the Klamath-Siskiyou region. Please reference the map to ensure your project area is within the kit region.

All kits are comprised of native plants that have been identified as having high value to monarchs and other pollinators and are grown without the use of systemic pesticides that may be harmful to pollinators. You may request multiple kits if needed for your project. Kit contents are tentative and subject to change based on availability.
 

Hedgerow Kits
This kit type contains approximately 40 woody and herbaceous transplants with flowering shrubs and forbs including milkweed. This kit type is intended to be used to create hedgerows to provide monarch and pollinator habitat on both working and non-working lands. Each kit will cover approximately 240 linear ft / 2400 ft2 if planted on 6 ft spacing. Container sizes range from tree band to 1 gallon. Additional kits can be requested for larger projects.

• Klamath-Siskiyou: Hedgerow Habitat Kit Plant List

Wildflower Grassland Kits
This kit type contains flowering forbs and grasses. Each kit will cover approximately 400 ft2 if planted on 2 ft spacing. Container sizes range from tree band to 1 gallon. Additional kits can be requested for larger projects.

• Klamath-Siskiyou: Wildflower Grassland Habitat Kit Plant List

Riparian/ Wet Soils Kits
This kit type contains approximately 40 native shrubs and trees that will cover approximately 240 linear ft / 2400 ft2 when planted at 6 ft spacing. This kit contains plants that do well in riparian areas and can tolerate some seasonal flooding. Additional kits can be requested for larger projects.

• Klamath-Siskiyou Riparian/Wet Soils Habitat Kit Plant List

Proposals

The Project Proposal form asks for information about where the kit will be planted, size of the area, and plans for site preparation, management, and maintenance, as well as plans for pesticide risk mitigation and outreach opportunities, if applicable.

Note that there are a limited number of kits and not everyone who expresses interest will receive one. Participants are selected based on the project information set out in the project proposal form as well as considerations such as location and habitat implementation and management plans. If you have multiple projects in different geographic locations, please submit a separate project proposal for each project. 
 

The 2025 proposal period is closed.

Distribution

Kits will be available for pick-up in October 2025. You will be provided with habitat kit pick-up days and location if/when your proposal is awarded a kit(s). There will be a range of dates (usually around 2 days) and times when the kits will be available for pick-up. 

• Klamath-Siskiyou kits will be available for pick-up in Talent, Oregon; location TBA.

Participation Requirements: Plant Pick-Up, Planting, Maintenance, Reporting

If awarded a kit, participants will receive a project partner collaborative agreement that outlines all requirements, and they must sign and agree to the terms, including:

1. Picking up Plants: Participants are required to pick up habitat kit plants in October, at a location that will be provided when kits are awarded.
2. Planting: You are required to plant the kit by November 30, 2025, and to follow the plan outlined in your proposal.
3. Planting Notification: After planting the kit, you must complete a short online form by December 15, 2025, to let us know the kit is planted, and share some photos.
4. Final Report: A brief online report is due the following June which should include information such as the establishment success of the project. If awarded a kit, you will receive a project partner collaborative agreement that outlines all requirements.

• Oregon Habitat Kit Planting Guide
• Persistent Herbicide Restrictions
• Restricciones Persistentes de Herbicidas
• Xerces Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Who should I contact if I have questions?
After reading through the FAQs, please contact us at oregonhabitatkits@xerces.org with any additional questions about the Oregon Habitat Kit Program.
 

How do I participate in the Habitat Kit Program?
Project Proposals for Oregon Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits will be available each year in February/March. The Project Proposal form asks for information about where the kit will be planted, size of the area, and plans for site preparation, management, and maintenance, as well as plans for pesticide risk mitigation and outreach opportunities, if applicable.
 

Can previous habitat kit recipients submit a proposal to participate in the program again?
Yes, former recipients are welcome to submit a proposal to participate in the habitat kit program again if they fulfilled all program requirements.

What is required of participants?
You are required to plant the kit within a reasonable amount of time after receiving the kit (~1 month), and to follow the plan outlined in your interest form. After planting the kit, you must complete a short online form to let us know the kit is planted, and share some photos. Additionally, a brief online final report is due the following summer which should include information such as the establishment success of the project. If chosen to participate, you will be sent a Project Partner Collaborative Agreement that outlines all requirements for your signature.

Which regions of Oregon are kits available for?
Habitat kits are available for the Klamath-Siskiyou region of SW Oregon. See map above. At this time we are uncertain whether we will be able to offer kits in the Willamette Valley region. Please continue to check the website for updates as they become available.

When will I be notified if my project has been selected to receive a kit(s)?
Selected project partners will be notified by email between early to mid-May. 

When will the kits be available?
Habitat kits will be available for pickup in October. You will be provided with habitat kit pick up days and location if/when your Project Proposal is selected for participation.

Can I have the kit delivered to me?
Kit delivery is not available. You must pick up your kit from our kit distribution location in October.

How did you decide what plants to include in the kits?
The plant species included in these kits are all native to Oregon and have been determined based on climate adaptiveness, regional and site suitability and pollinator attractiveness. All kits include monarch host plants, milkweed and nectar plants used by adult monarchs. The SW Oregon Wildflower Kit was specifically designed to provide a wide variety of monarch nectar and host plants. These plants were chosen based on monarch nectaring observations. Visitation data provides good general guidance on which plants are preferred by monarchs.

I would like to create a pollinator garden at a school (or other public place). Which kit type should I choose?
The Hedgerow Kit is designed to create a dense border planting and includes many larger shrubs that would be inappropriate for most small pollinator gardens. The Riparian/Wet Soils Kit contains small trees and larger shrubs, and is suitable for wet/moist areas for larger project spaces. The Wildflower/Grassland Kit would be appropriate for smaller projects, for instance small spaces on working lands and pollinator gardens at schools or other public spaces.

I am receiving additional funds for my project through an NRCS Farm Bill Program and / or a grant. Can I still participate in the Program? 
Yes, you may be able to leverage other funding sources and participate in the program. However, you must check in with your NRCS or other contact to make sure you are still fulfilling your contractual obligations.
 

Are habitat kits organic?
Habitat kits are not certified organic, but are grown without the use of harmful pesticides. 

Can I purchase a kit on my own?
The kits are not available for sale. The Xerces Society has a wealth of resources available at no cost on our website through the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center, which can help you in your efforts to create pollinator habitat.

Can I get technical assistance for creating and maintaining my kit?
Yes! We are happy to help. You may contact us at oregonhabitatkits@xerces.org with questions about your project and for advice on how to ensure that your project will be successful. You can also find a variety of information and materials on our website, particularly in the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center.
If you are interested in planting a kit on working lands, you may also want to seek assistance from your local Soil and Water Conservation District or the NRCS.

I do not live in Oregon. Am I eligible for a kit?
Unfortunately, we can only provide these kits to people who will be planting them in Oregon’s Klamath-Siskiyou region of SW Oregon. See our habitat kit program webpage for information on kit programs in other parts of the country.

How can I support the Xerces habitat kit program?
Oregon habitat kits are supported by the U.S. Forest Service and Xerces Society donors and members. 
Support the Xerces Society
 

Meet our Oregon Habitat Kit Team:

Please contact us by email: oregonhabitatkits@xerces.org; or by phone: (503)-232-6639. For planting, maintenance, & project design inquiries contact Corin Pease. For other information about participating in the Oregon Habitat Kit Program contact Michele Blackburn.