© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Becoming one with the butterflies

It’s National Pollinator Week, and butterfly farmers in Kansas and around the U.S. are raising awareness about how habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change are killing off our pollinators. Plus: The Missouri Department of Conservation's new director reflects on how conservation work has evolved over time.

For the past 25 years, pollinator species have experienced a drop in numbers. Experts say that’s due to habitat loss, chemical use and climate change. Harvest Public Media's Anna Pope reports on how butterfly breeders and farms are helping capture people's attention and serve as a gateway into learning about preserving habitat.

Jason Sumners is the new director of Missouri’s Department of Conservation. St. Louis Public Radio’s Sarah Kellogg spoke with Sumners about how conservation work has changed over the years and his goals for the department.

Contact the show at news@kcur.org. Follow KCUR on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Gabe Rosenberg. It is produced by David McKeel and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate.

As KCUR’s Audience Editor, I ask the questions: What do people need from us, and how can we best deliver it? I work across departments and projects to ensure our entire community is represented in and best served by our journalism. I help lead KCUR’s digital efforts to make our station more responsive, more competitive and more engaging. Contact me at gabe@kcur.org
David McKeel is a producer for KCUR Studios. Email him at David.McKeel@kcur.org
KCUR prides ourselves on bringing local journalism to the public without a paywall — ever.

Our reporting will always be free for you to read. But it's not free to produce.

As a nonprofit, we rely on your donations to keep operating and trying new things. If you value our work, consider becoming a member.