Discover and celebrate the power of pollinators and the monarch butterfly as they migrate across Central Illinois next month at the third-annual Monarch Madness co-sponsored by the Macon County Master Gardeners and Rock Springs Nature Center! Be a part of this family friendly and hands-on celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 17.

See caterpillars, chrysalides and butterflies up close before helping to catch and tag monarchs to track them on their 3,000-mile migration to Mexico. Learn about what you can do to help monarchs on their journey. Cindy Blobaum, a children's author, science educator and naturalist, will demonstrate how to tag the butterflies which helps scientists learn more about their migration. One of the butterflies tagged at the 2016 Monarch Madness was later recovered at the wintering grounds of El Rosario, Mexico!

This is a free event for the community that will take place at the Rock Springs Nature Center, 3939 Nearing Lane in Decatur.

The Macon County Master Gardeners are volunteers trained by University of Illinois Extension. Master Gardeners fulfill their mission of Helping Others Learn to Grow by volunteering their time and horticulture skills through community gardening projects and educational outreach. To learn more about the Macon County Master Gardener program, visit go.illinois.edu/dmp or find them on Facebook.

Master Gardener Training will take place in Fall of 2018. If you're interested in being contacted with information, please contact Vasthi Schwarz at vasthis@illinois.edu to get on our contact list!