The large, stainless-steel butterflies along King Street in St. Jacobs are much more than public art. They mark the route for the unique butterfly trail that runs through the heart of downtown.
The path runs along King Street and features five steel butterflies surrounded by native pollinator gardens with creative educational posters about the importance of pollinators and native plants.
“We began the butterfly trail project with the Village of St. Jacob’s BIA to engage local vendors and land managers,” said DJ Hanna, local Butterflyway Ranger with the David Suzuki Foundation and project manager for the butterfly trail.
The trail features five steel sculptures, each surrounded by a native pollinator garden. Creative, educational posters stand alongside the plants to teach visitors about the vital role pollinators play.
The project launched in 2024 as a collaboration with the St. Jacobs Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA). While the trail itself began two years ago, volunteers just finished planting the surrounding gardens last year.
“The gardens are still in their baby mode, and getting used to being in a new space,” said Hanna, adding that she is happy to see more green over concrete in the downtown.
Beyond environmental advocacy, the trail celebrates local heritage. The colourful marbles embedded in the steel sculptures directly connect to the famous Marble Quilt monument at the Health Valley Trailhead.
“Ella Brubacher generously donated marbles leftover from the marble quilt, and Weber’s Fabricating designed, built, and installed the stainless-steel butterflies in time for the [Christmas] Sparkles event. Residents helped place the marbles, connecting each butterfly to our community,” said Hanna.
An online trail map guides visitors through the downtown network. The full route extends beyond the five steel sculptures to include older green spaces, such as the container canoe garden at Northside and King Street.
Planted in 2022, the same year Hanna earned her Ranger designation, the canoe was donated, painted by community members, and stocked by local vendors.
“The goal of the Butterflyway Project is to increase awareness and appreciation for our wild pollinators,” said Hanna.
While “butterfly” is the official designation of the project, this goal applies to all pollinators.
Hanna joined the cause after learning about alarming declines in global insect populations and their critical role in the food web. Today, her efforts are paying off.
“We have seen more caterpillars and more butterflies, which is amazing. And each of the trails we’ve created along King Street, and then I’ve got two canoes along the waterfront, are all interspersed with these species, so that they have host plants, which means we have more caterpillars, which means we have more butterflies, and that’s our goal.”
