Springfield, IL – On September 20th, representatives from Sangamon County Historical Society, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, Route 66 Monarch Flyway, Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and Ace Sign Company gave an informative program at the Route 66 Experience at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Susan Helm, president of the Sangamon County Historical Society and co-chair of the Route 66 Monarch Flyway, hosted the event, and brought 27 Monarch Butterflies to release at the Monarch Pollinator Habitat, which is a featured part of the project, located at Gate 2 of the fairgrounds.
The Illinois State Fairgrounds Route 66 Experience will be a walking tour that will begin at the southern most part of the route, at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in Madison, Illinois, and travel north through over 90 communities along The Mother Road, until we reach the heart of Chicago where the REAL road begins.
The Route 66 Monarch Flyway, which the Illinois Monarch Project debuted on November 18th, 2020, is a 66-mile-wide corridor that stretches from Chicago to St. Louis across the state of Illinois. The project is seeking to bring the unique aspect of Route 66 to Illinois’ efforts to the help the monarch butterfly by planting native wildflowers and restoring habitat projects within the corridor.
Our friends at Illinois Times covered the September 20th event. Click here for a link to their article.