Since last year, the Ripon Garden Club has put forth the effort to make possible the Butterfly Garden at Mavis Stouffer Park.

This area of the City of Ripon park located 1000 Stouffer St. is now open for the community to enjoy.

The official grand opening is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. This will be part of a fundraiser consisting of a drawing and silent auction.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those in attendance must follow safety protocols such as wearing masks and social distancing.

Given the circumstances, this is one of the few fundraisers for the local non-profit organization this year.

As for the Butterfly Garden, Linda Slayton King of the Ripon Garden Club said: “It’s a great opportunity to get the kids out to the park for something that’s informative and educational.”

Described as “an oasis of peace and tranquility” – located in a once neglected area north of the park, just past the first parking lot – the Butterfly Garden features a variety of plants to attract pollinators and butterflies.

Plants include salvias, perennials, annuals, and a Japanese maple tree, to name a few. The Garden Club worked with the City on the property and received information from the UC Davis Master Gardening Program on the plant variety.

Attorney Jim Mootz made possible the Life Cycle of a Butterfly information signage, according to King.

The Ripon Garden Club was further helped out by generous donors in the community forthe bench, signs, and other items featured in the Butterfly Garden.

For more information, call Linda King at 209.467.1725 or 916.802.0607.