A Lawrence resident has captured an image of Monarch butterflies that is on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Ken Highfill, a retired Lawrence High School biology teacher, knew the museum might use his photograph for an exhibit, but didn’t discover it was being used until a recent trip there with his wife, Kay.

“So we’re walking across and see this long banner split over the entrance for a new butterfly pavilion,” Highfill said. “In the process of looking at the banner, I saw something in the banner that looked familiar. I said to my wife, ‘Well, I’m not really positive, but I think that’s my Monarch butterfly shot.'”

And it was.

The banner is the public’s first welcome to the museum’s exhibit called “Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution,” which explores how butterflies and other insects have evolved with plants. Highfill’s photos used in the banner and in the exhibit were taken during a September 2004 evening when thousands of Monarchs stopped at the Baker Wetlands during their migration to Mexico.

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime situation for me,” Highfill said about the exhibit. “To see those butterflies from Lawrence, that made for a good day.”

The exhibit captures Highfill’s interests in biology and photography along with his passion for wildlife conservation.

Highfill shares that mission with Chip Taylor, Kansas University professor of entomology and Monarch Watch director. The two study the Monarchs at the Baker Wetlands near 31st and Louisiana streets, a vital migration stop for the Monarchs.

The Monarchs’ migration through Lawrence is “one of the world’s most incredible natural wonders,” Taylor said, and one worth protecting.