FairWays Foundation grants $25k to Monarchs In the Rough

Audubon International received a $25,000 grant from The FairWays Foundation to help sustain and grow its popular Monarchs In The Rough program, in which golf courses establish milkweed habitat where the endangered butterflies can lay eggs during their seasonal migration periods.

Grant funds will be used to provide regionally appropriate milkweed seeds and program signs to participating courses.

“We are delighted and honored to receive a grant from FairWays Foundation,” Audubon International CEO Christine Kane said. “Monarchs In The Rough is one of our most popular and vital ongoing conservation initiatives, with participants within and outside the United States. This grant will go a long way in helping golf courses do their part to bolster Monarch populations along their Western Hemisphere migration corridors.”

The news comes the same week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to add monarch butterflies to its list of threatened species by the end of 2025, extending federal protections to the pollinator.

A stand-alone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established by The Aquatrols Company in 2019, The FairWays Foundation is dedicated to advancing conservation and environmental stewardship worldwide. By providing grants to both small- and large-scale projects, the foundation addresses critical environmental challenges and supports educational initiatives in the golf industry and the wider world. For the 2024 grant cycle, Audubon International’s Monarchs In The Rough grant was one of 11 awards totaling $119,040.

“The FairWays Foundation is extremely proud of this year’s grant recipients. They represent three continents with an increased focus on public outreach and education,” said Greg Lovell, FairWays Foundation president and Central East territory manager for The Aquatrols Company. “Our total give is now over $800,000 since 2019. We can’t wait to see the finished projects and observe the positive impacts they are having within their communities.”