Beloved Girl Scout Mural Retired from the Sterling Butterfly Garden

The Sterling Foundation is saddened to announce the removal of the three-panel monarch butterfly mural that has brightened the Butterfly Garden since 2022. Created by a local Girl Scout troop, the artwork was constructed from hundreds of colorful bottle caps collected from the community and arranged to tell the story of a monarch’s life cycle. From the moment it was installed, the mural became a cherished landmark—one that made neighbors smile as they walked or drove past the garden.

After nearly three years outdoors, both the wooden structure and the plastic bottle-cap elements had begun to deteriorate. Small fragments were breaking off into the garden, creating hazards for visitors and for the pollinator habitat the space was designed to protect. For the safety of the community and the environment, volunteers Brad, Jack, and Kathy stepped forward to carefully dismantle the installation.

The Sterling Foundation welcomes all ideas as it considers the next chapter for the Butterfly Garden.