The Satsuki Garden Club hosted a dedication to Covington’s new pollinator garden in Academy Springs Park, off Conyers Street and Legion Drive, Monday.

The pollinator garden is designed to attract butterflies, such as the 12 Monarchs that were tagged and released as part of the dedication program. In tagging the butterflies, members of the garden club placed a sticker on one wing and released them into the garden. The butterflies, which migrate to Mexico, will then be collected and researched in that country to monitor the status of the species.

Among those helping to release the butterflies was a first grade class from the Newton County Theme School. The class also saw a performance of “Monarch Butterfly” by Tattling Tail Productions.

The pollinator garden features several varieties of plants for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees to eat from, as well as plants for butterflies to lay their eggs on.

Newly added to the garden is a tall butterfly statue, as well as signs informing people of the different aspects of the garden and life-cycle of the butterfly. The signs were funded by a grant from the Garden Club of Georgia.

The grant required a match from a local non-profit organization. The Lions Club of Covington donated $200, and the Garden Club of Georgia’s grant was another $200 for the signs.

The garden itself was funded by the Satsuki Garden Club’s Christmas Tour of Homes Fundraiser.