Galesburg Allocates to Become “Monarch Capital of Illinois”

Galesburg-city-signCelebrating and conserving the population of butterflies. That is essentially the goal of a local resident who is pushing for Galesburg to be names the “Monarch Butterfly Capitol of Illinois.”

Rhonda Brady, “The Butterfly Lady,” says that more and more butterflies are not returning from migration every year.
Brady says when tagging or tabulating monarchs began in the late 1990’s, around 18 percent of the population remained.

That number has reportedly dropped to around less than a percent in present day.

Brady tells WGIL’s Galesburg Live, that many of her childhood memories in Galesburg can’t be passed on because of the current situation.

“What I had experienced as a child visiting here with cousins–taking bike rides out in the country, we would scare up butterflies as we would travel on the bikes–kind of quietly,” says Brady. ” You can’t do that now, my children can’t do that now, my grandchildren can’t experience that.”

Brady says what she is really looking to inspire, is to make Galesburg the “Monarch weigh-station capitol.” The winged creatures use the weigh-stations to rest from flight, and eat milkweed–which is reportedly the only food consumed by the animals.

Brady says everyone can participate in the weigh station movement. Small containers with milkweed in a suitable area such as a porch or backyard are the only requirement.

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