Butterfly wings will flutter among UF students at the Florida Museum of Natural History on Saturday.
The free 14th annual ButterflyFest will include a plant sale, butterfly gardening workshops, a children’s area and performances by Danscompany of Gainesville, a local children and adults dance group, said Catherine Carey, the museum’s public programs coordinator.
The plant sale will be on Saturday and Sunday and will include plants for butterfly gardens. The money the museum raises from the plant sale will support conservation research and education.
“The nice thing about ButterflyFest is there’s something for everyone,” Carey said. “Be prepared to have some fun.”
ButterflyFest’s theme this year is “pollinator power,” Carey said. Pollinators, like butterflies, bees, bats and birds, are vital to flowering plants and human crops, as one in every three bites of food has a direct link to pollinators, Carey said. She encouraged people to help pollinators by starting butterfly gardens or using less pesticides.
The festival’s goal is to bring awareness to butterflies and other pollinators as an important part of nature. Carey also hopes visitors enjoy the museum and make it part of their regular weekend.
“I want them [visitors] to walk away realizing how important pollinators are in their day-to-day lives,” Carey said.
Last year, more than 3,200 people attended the event. Attendees in past years have included people of all ages and from all over Florida. Carey said she expects attendance to be high if the weather is nice.
Madison Turner, an 18-year-old UF marketing freshman, will volunteer at the event because she used to visit the butterfly exhibit with her father as a child. She is volunteering with UF Circle K International, a nonprofit service organization.
“I think it will be a really fun experience to bond more with my club and learn more about butterflies and how they affect our environment,” Turner said.
An attendee from the 2018 ButterflyFest holds a butterfly in her wings.
Meghan McGlone is a UF junior majoring in journalism and English, and this year she’s the City and County Commission reporter. In past years, she’s served as the University Editor, the Student Government reporter, and other positions. Her favorite past time is eating gummy worms and reading a good book.
