Downers Grove in DuPage County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Monarch Habitat

Providing Food Sources For Declining Butterfly Populations

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 12, 2025

1. Monarch Habitat Marker

Inscription. Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the United States and Canada to overwintering areas in California and Mexico where they wait out the winter until conditions favor a return flight in the spring. The monarch migration is truly one of the world's greatest natural wonders, yet it is threatened by habitat loss in North America. Milkweeds and nectar sources for Monarchs are declining due to increased development and urbanization activities throughout the country. In the last 20 years, the population of monarch butterflies in the Western U.S. has declined by 75 percent.

Erected by Village of Downers Grove.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Environment.

Location. 41° 47.778′ N, 88° 2.267′ W. Marker is in Downers Grove, Illinois, in DuPage County. It is on Belmont Road near Burlington Avenue. The marker is near the cloverleaf intersection of Belmont Road and Burlington Avenue, near the Belmont Metra train station. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Downers Grove IL 60515, United

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States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Chicago.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Great Lakes,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Welcome to Belmont Prairie (approx. half a mile away); An Illinois Nature Preserve (approx. half a mile away); Belmont Prairie (approx. half a mile away); Lottie Holman O’Neill (approx. 0.6 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.6 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); Memorial Park (approx. one mile away); Downer Family Well (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Downers Grove.

More about this marker. An identical sign can be found about 2 miles east-southeast of here at Patriots Park.

Also see . . . Monarchs, Migration and Milkweed (Video). A video

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 12, 2025

2. Monarch Habitat Marker

The Belmont train station can be seen in the distance; Belmont Road is on the far left side of the photo.

from the Village of Downers Grove looks at the natural areas that have been created in recent years to help butterflies. (Submitted on April 14, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Monarch Habitat Marker rear view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, April 12, 2025

3. Monarch Habitat Marker rear view

Belmont Road is in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 14, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 137 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 14, 2025, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.