After a year of virtual events, it’s time to dust off your wings and register to attend this year’s Monarch Migration Festival. Registration is required for this free family friendly event and space is limited each hour.

Every autumn the North American Monarch butterfly migrates south to Mexico to avoid cold weather and hibernate. In the spring it returns to lay its eggs. The cycle then continues. Monarch butterflies are dependent on milkweed and while their numbers have dipped in recent years, Illinois and Galesburg have helped do their part to save the Monarch as well as other pollinators by creating 2,788 Monarch waystations.

The 7th Annual Monarch Migration Festival will take place on Saturday, September 11 at the Lakeside Nature Center from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. It is a community collaboration sponsored by University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists, Galesburg Parks and Recreation, and the Knox County Farm Bureau.

Receive a Monarch Experience Passport upon arriving at the entry tent. From there, talk with expert volunteers to learn about the Monarch butterfly’s life cycle, enjoy hands on activities, and tag a Monarch for release.

Registration is required to attend and can be found at go.illinois.edu/MMF. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate, or for more information, contact Wendy Ferguson. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.

ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.