Monarch, Plymouth Place’s biannual philanthropy magazine, tells the story of our donors and the extraordinary impact of their gifts. The monarch butterfly has long had significance at Plymouth Place, as we are dedicated to a monarch-breeding program with a flight house, native plants, and a butterfly garden. Our story of philanthropy parallels the symbolism of what these incredible creatures can accomplish.

Monarchs journey more than two thousand miles to Mexico each year, with their arrival coinciding with the Day of the Dead celebration. These graceful creatures are believed to be the returning spirits of ancestors coming home to their families. Individual monarchs make the journey to Mexico. Their return to the north requires multiple generations to accomplish the goal in an extended relay race. By the time they reach Texas, they find a mate. Their resulting eggs turn into caterpillars, which grow into butterflies. Those butterflies take the baton and travel further north, mate, and then produce offspring that continue the journey further north. The process repeats itself until, three months and three generations later, monarchs begin arriving back to us in the spring. Four generations are needed to complete the migratory circle each year.

Our donors, like the monarchs, work individually and collectively toward great things. Their work and legacy require the next generation to pick up the baton and continue.