photo by: Ashley Golledge

A monarch butterfly pollinates a flower at the Baker Wetlands on Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018.

A former Oklahoma State professor who has more than 25 years of research experience on butterflies has been named the new director of the Monarch Watch program based at the University of Kansas.

Kristen Baum has been selected to take over for Monarch Watch founder and longtime director Chip Taylor, who announced his retirement last year. Baum began her new position this week.

Baum previously was a biology professor and associate dean for research at Oklahoma State University. She’s nationally known in research circles for her work with monarch butterflies and pollinators. She has done extensive research on how land use management practices impact monarchs, bees and other pollinators. She’s been active in several conservation groups that work to protect habitat for pollinators.

KU’s Monarch Watch program has gained international attention for its events to tag and track monarchs throughout North America. Taylor, who started the program in 1992, estimates the program now interacts with at least 100,000 people per year, as many volunteers tag and track the butterflies during the fall migration.

photo by: Submitted

Kristen Baum

Baum has been one of those volunteers.

“I’ve participated in several Monarch Watch programs over the years, including tagging monarchs as part of my research and creating a Monarch Waystation at my home,” she said. “Under Chip’s leadership, Monarch Watch has developed an international reach through research, education and on-the-ground conservation efforts that have benefited the monarch butterfly, as well as other pollinators and wildlife. I’m honored to have been selected to lead Monarch Watch and build on these efforts that have been decades in the making.”

The Monarch Watch program is housed inside the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research. While retired, Taylor will hold the role of director emeritus of the program, and will remain active with the program in various ways. As reported earlier, Taylor and his wife donated $1.4 million to create the Chip and Toni Taylor Professorship to support leadership of the Monarch Watch program.