Rallying around monarchs at butterfly roundup

It's all hands on deck in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as we rally for a future filled with monarch butterflies and we're pleased that so many folks in Illinois are right there with us. Take a moment to learn about how we're connecting with folks, young and old alike, with the Becoming an Outdoor Family educational series at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge.

On September 14, 2024, more than 60 community members came out to show their support for monarch conservation and to learn about how they can make a difference in their own neighborhoods. The best part is that they had fun doing it too! With interactive activities, information about growing monarch pocket gardens and learning about how we track individual monarchs, this free event was the perfect way to rally behind monarchs. Acting Assistant Regional Director Carl Millegan and folks from across the region were on hand to mark the occasion.

The Butterfly Roundup is an annual program is part of the Becoming an Outdoors-Family Program, now in its 20th year, offered at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. Referred to informally as B.O.F., the program is a series of Saturday learning opportunities and workshops that focus on teaching basic outdoor skills to individuals and families to help them enjoy nature and encourage them to spend more times outdoors.

"Our B.O.F. events continue to allow families to learn new skills together and when you provide the whole family with an experience, you immediately create a group of people that can go and do this together," said Visitor Services Manager Neil Vincent. This is super exciting!"

Through programs like these, our goal is to reconnect families to the outdoors, to the refuge and to each other. Staff were excited to see a historic turnout as they welcomed lifelong learners from the surrounding community to come together. The event a fun education program where visitors learn about the importance of monarchs and pollinators across the landscape through fun, hands-on activities.