Bloomington residents like Jill Larsen and her son, Craig Larsen, an interpretive ranger with the National Park Service, show how small actions can make an extraordinary impact.
Since 2019, they have been tagging monarch butterflies through the University of Kansas, tracking their remarkable migration. Monarchs have been tagged across the city, from the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge to neighborhood yards. In 2025, one of their tagged butterflies was found in Mexico.
With guidance from Bloomington elementary school teacher Jody Gray, the family also began raising monarchs at home in 2024, watching them grow from egg to butterfly before release. Their yard, filled with milkweed and native plants, supports pollinators of all kinds.
“I love that Bloomington is concerned with sustainability of our natural resources,” Larsen said.
Larsen, a longtime Bloomington resident, captures the spirit of Bloomington: a community where people lead with purpose and work to support a healthy natural environment that benefits everyone, even bugs.
