By Blake Jackson
The Highway 13 Butterfly Coalition is on a mission to transform western Missouri into a vital corridor for migrating pollinators, especially monarch butterflies traveling between Canada and Mexico.
What started in 2017 as a small vision by members of the Hamilton Community Alliance has grown into a larger conservation effort. The initial plan was to develop a 10-acre butterfly park on city-owned land in Hamilton.
Many early volunteers were retirees from nonprofit and government sectors. Now, with support from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the project has expanded into a 292-mile trail along Highway 13, stretching from Hamilton to Branson.
University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff explains the significance of the route: “The trail would serve as an important connector for eastern monarch butterflies en route from Canada to Mexico, where they overwinter.” These butterflies often return to the same resting points during their spring migration north.
The 26-mile-wide corridor will pass through 12 counties, offering pollinators essential resources like food, water, and shelter. Volunteers are partnering with state agencies, nonprofits, and educational institutions to establish pollinator habitats along the trail.
Althoff emphasizes the importance of education in the project: “That’s where MU Extension will lend its expertise,” by providing biodiversity assessments, habitat research, and educational displays. “I am excited to work on the Butterfly Trail, which will entail three E’s that are important to me: Environment, Education and Economy,” Althoff said.
“By adding the fourth E, Extension, the University of Missouri can extend its educational and research resources from campus to county to showcase the great state of Missouri.”
The initiative also has an economic angle. Hamilton, despite its small population, welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually, primarily due to the Missouri Star Quilt Co.
The butterfly park alone is projected to draw an additional 25,000 visitors each year. Branson, at the southern end of the trail, attracts more than 10 million visitors annually.
Artistic features like murals, “Barn Butterflies,” and sculpture installations will enhance the scenic value of the route. The project aims to spark “Monarch Mania” and highlight the broader benefits for all pollinators.
Photo Credit: istock-herreid
Categories: Missouri, General