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. One of the goals of this effort is to bring together all aspects of life in Illinois, which are represented in the four sectors of the Illinois Monarch Project (IMP) – Urban, Agriculture, Rights-of-Ways and Natural Lands. The IMP collaborates with public and private partners, in addition to individuals across the state, to protect and enhance existing habitat and establish new habitat that supports monarch butterflies and other pollinators.

Photo by Geoff Ladd for Route 66 Monarch Flyway

A dedicated committee with representation from Pheasants Forever, Illinois Farm Bureau, McLean County Soil & Water Conservation District, National Parks Service, Chicago Zoological Society, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Department of Transportation, and the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway has been working on the Flyway for a few years now.

When the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway recently hired Casey Claypool as their Executive Director, she has played an integral role in helping the committee get to the point of a public debut.

“My organization was delighted when the Illinois Monarch Project reached out to us for inclusion in this initiative. Surprisingly enough, the combination of two things as iconic as the Monarch Butterfly and Route 66 seamlessly meshed to create this unique opportunity. Route 66 is the most famous road in America and generations of travelers have romanticized this highway as a symbol of unlimited mobility and freedom. Now, with the launch of the Route 66 Monarch Flyway, we can continue to promote the history and nostalgia of the road while working to save the monarchs. The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway is honored to be included in this initiative and hopes to see the fruits of our labor through increased tourism in our over 90 Route 66 communities in Illinois and the explosion of monarch habitats along our shining ribbon of blacktop, that we call The Mother Road,” said Claypool.

Primary Contacts:

Susan Helm
Route 66 Monarch Flyway Project Coordinator
(217) 502-3992
susan.helm@comcast.net

Geoff Ladd
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway Assistant Director
(217) 993-2698
gladd@illinoisroute66.org