The Monarch Butterfly is important to Kansas farmers and ranchers because Kansas lies squarely in its migration path.  So, if the Monarch is ultimately listed as a threatened or endangered species, it could impact how farmers and ranchers are able to run their operations across the entire state.

Kansas Farm Bureau is participating in several efforts to help conserve the Monarch Butterfly, and small, simple changes to routine jobs around the farm can offer a win-win solution, ensuring that there is ample and quality habitat for migrating Monarchs as they travel through our state.  Plots as small as 10’ by 10’ can provide a valuable habitat.  There are programs available to farmers and ranchers at K-State Extension, NRCS and FSA to help ease the financial burden and provide technical assistance to improve habitat for the Monarch and other pollinators. 

To learn more about what you can do to help the Monarch population thrive during its migration through Kansas, check out the resources we've made available here.  

In August of 2014, several groups joined forces and petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking for the Monarch Butterfly to be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. You may already know that this butterfly migrates in the spring from Mexico to as far north as Canada, only to return in the fall, 3-4 generations later, to its overwintering ground in Mexico.