This time of year, one of the most recognizable insects is headed en masse through Kansas on its way to central Mexico.

Orley 'Chip' Taylor, director of Monarch Watch, with two Monarch Butterflies on his nose. Taylor and Monarch Watch are preparing for the organization's open house, which seeks to educate the public on the insects and their dwindling population.

Although the monarch butterfly’s signature orange and black is one of the most distinct colorations in the insect world, these days their numbers are in decline, and they’re getting harder to spot, said Orley “Chip” Taylor, director of Kansas University’s Monarch Watch.

On Sept. 12, Monarch Watch will host its annual open house on KU’s West Campus to teach the public about the insects and the population challenges they continue to face, Taylor said.

In recent years, studies of the monarch’s 3,000-mile migration have shown a population decline by as much as 60 percent of the historical average, Taylor said. But in 2013 and 2014, records indicated a population dip of over 80 percent, causing even more concern among researchers and preservationists.

“This is one of the most amazing natural phenomenon on the planet,” Taylor said. “And we have to maintain it.”

One of the many reasons for such a sharp decrease in the monarch population is the destruction of its natural habitat throughout the continent, in particular the milkweed plant where the butterflies feed, mate and lay their eggs, Taylor said.

“Almost all of our activity now is trying to get milkweed back in the ground and trying to establish the habitat,” Taylor said. “We need to reestablish about 1.5 billion milkweed stems, about 20 million acres.”

As a part of Monarch Watch’s ongoing efforts, free milkweed plants will be made available to those who want them, Taylor said. The plants also will be given out during the open house.

“We also breed a lot of monarch butterflies,” Taylor said. “We’ll have a lot of show-and-tell things that we do and we can give away monarch chrysalises to the children. We also have something called ‘Dunk a Monarch,’ which attracts a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs.'”

Ann Ryan, Monarch Watch program assistant, said her favorite part of the whole process is the time she spends with the caterpillars.

“They stay with you a bit more,” she said. “The butterflies leave when they come out, but with the caterpillars you can care for them a bit more and watch them a bit more.”

And at the open house, anyone interested in handling the insects will have their chance, Ryan said.

Monarch larvae, or caterpillars, and several chrysalises at Monarch Watch in Kansas University's Foley Hall on West Kampus. Monarch Watch is preparing for an open house, which seeks to educate the public on the insects and their dwindling population.

“Kids can hold a caterpillar; we’ll have tours of our building and a big butterfly garden behind our building and other activities to see and do,” she said.

The weekend after the open house, the organization will host its annual tagging event, where the public can help researchers tag butterflies and track ongoing migration and population patterns.

“It’s a free event for the public to come out and help us tag butterflies with a special adhesive and lightweight, waterproof tag,” she said. “And hopefully someone will find them.”

While working to learn more about monarchs and rebuild their lost population numbers, Taylor said, he believes their situation is indicative of a much bigger problem.

“The issue with the monarchs is bigger than monarchs. All the other organisms that share the same habitat with them are breaking down, too,” he said. “People don’t realize that about 70 percent of vegetation is pollenated by various insects. If you lose your pollinators, you loose fruits, you lose nuts, you loose berries and seeds and everything else that feeds on them — you’ll have a negative spiral.”

While Taylor said all hope is not lost, there is much work to be done to combat the monarchs’ declining population.

“We can do better, there’s no question about that, and we can save this migration,” he said. “This is an all-hands-on-deck affair. If we can all bend to this effort we can do it, but it’s a tall order.”

Monarch Watch’s open house will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 12 at Foley Hall, 2021 Constant Ave. The event is open to the public and free to attend.