North Santa Rosa

10th Annual Monarch Madness

Join the Panhandle Butterfly House in celebrating the amazing journey of the monarch butterfly. The 10th Annual Monarch Madness Butterfly Festival will be held Friday and Saturday, October 7 – 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8581 Navarre Parkway in Navarre Park just west of the Navarre Bridge.

The Panhandle Butterfly House is a certified Monarch Waystation with Monarch Watch (www.monarchwatch.org), an educational, conservation and research organization at the University of Kansas. During the event, the entire family can enjoy strolling through the vivarium- a screened structure housing hundreds of butterflies and the plants they love. Children can learn about the life and biology of the butterfly while earning their Junior Lepidopterist card. Children, ages five and up, and adults will be able to tag and release a monarch butterfly outdoors as part of the annual Monarch Watch.

“The tagging program is a part of a nationwide research program that helps answer questions about the geographic origins of monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of the migration, mortality during migration, and changes in geographic distribution” said Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS Extension Santa Rosa County agent.
Other features include:

Butterfly-related educational crafts

Guided tours of the butterfly house and self-guided monarch migration tours through outdoor butterfly garden

Butterfly-themed treasures for sale at the Monarch Market and Butterfly Bazaar

Dynamic educational displays.

Advice on lawns, landscapes and gardens from the Santa Rosa County Master Gardeners

Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, snacks and soft drinks for sale by Holley-Navarre Elks Lodge #2787 – proceeds benefit local charities

Only through the generosity of visitors is the Panhandle Butterfly House able to provide the community with this wonderful outdoor science lab. Admission if free. Donations are encouraged. Monarch Madness is brought to you by the Panhandle Butterfly House with help from the Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Office, as part of the 13th Annual Beaches to Woodlands Tour.

For more information visit www.panhandlebutterflyhouse.org, find us on Facebook, or contact Mary Derrick at (850) 623-3868 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays or via email at maryd@santarosa.fl.gov .   

All programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations. For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact the Santa Rosa County Extension Office at (850) 623-3868 at least five working days prior to the program.

Posted by on Oct 1 2016. Filed under Happenings, Local. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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