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Monarchs in Illinois: Your Garden, Your Story

The monarch butterfly is more than Illinois’ state symbol. It’s a living story of growth, migration, and transformation. Just like the monarch, our communities grow stronger when we plant seeds of hope and connection.

By taking home native Illinois pollinator seeds, you’ve joined a group of people who are helping monarchs thrive, while creating beauty and balance in your own backyard.

Whether you received a pollinator seed packet from IDNR or already have your own pollinator garden, we’d love to see it! Plant your seeds, watch them grow, and share a photo of your monarch-friendly space with us. Together, we’re building a statewide network of habitats where monarchs and other pollinators can thrive.

What to Do

Now we want to see your garden come to life!

Upload a photo of your pollinator garden, your flowers in bloom, or a monarch butterfly stopping by. Every picture adds to a growing community of Illinoisans building spaces where people and pollinators both belong.

●      Step 1: Fill out the quick form below and upload your photo.

●      Step 2: Share where you planted your seeds (city or neighborhood).

●      Step 3: Come back soon to see your photo featured in our community carousel, and celebrate the monarch journey together.

Every garden tells a story. Every butterfly carries a message. Together, we are creating a living mosaic across Illinois: one seed, one flower, one monarch at a time.

Submit your photo below and join the movement.

  1. Separator
  3. Title
  4. First Name
  5. Last Name
  6. Email
  7. City or Neighborhood
  8. What's Your Story?
  9. By submitting your photo, you give the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois State Museum permission to share your image and story publicly in our online photo carousel, on social media, and in related outreach materials. You confirm that the photo is your own and that you have the rights to share it. Submissions may be edited or adapted for clarity, but your contribution will always be credited to you.
  10. Upload Photo
  11. CAPTCHA

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Maximum of 500 Characters

    Max file size 10MB. Only JPG, PNG, or PDF files allowed. Files with a filename starting with the characters (.), containing characters []\ / : * ? " < > | ; % $, or containing special filenames reserved for Windows operating system like nul, prn, con, lpt, or com are not supported.