About Us
Women for Green Spaces became a non-profit organization in August 2024. It was initiated in 2021 as a project of the Women’s Committee of Working Family Solidarity (WFS). Claudia Galeno-Sánchez, Executive Director, and other women volunteers started raising monarch butterflies indoors after learning about it from El Valor Guadalupe Reyes Children & Family Center - where their children’s early education began. With current climate change issues and the lack of green spaces, they formed a group led by women to help their communities have green spaces.
To begin their mission, a small butterfly sanctuary was built in front of a Pilsen residence. This sanctuary raised awareness among Pilsen residents and those who visited the neighborhood about the importance of pollinators and native plants to our ecosystem.
After building the small sanctuary, the idea of creating a larger sanctuary in the back portion of the residence and having a mural in the garage was born. With the support of Pilsen muralist Héctor Duarte, a mural was painted in the garage and front of the house.
Host plants for black swallowtail and monarch butterflies were planted in both sanctuaries, creating a safe and ideal ecosystem without pesticides. Although the plants are primarily used by those two species of butterflies, other important pollinators benefit from them.
As MEV has progressed, alliances and collaborations have been established with local schools, community gardens, Chicago Botanic Garden, DePaul University, and the University of Illinois Chicago to encourage and teach residents about the importance of having gardens with native and host plants for various pollinators.