Caterpillars are still out and about at Calkins. Mark your calendars!
Thursday, September 19th, Calkins Nature Area staff members will host their annual monarch butterfly tagging program from 5:00 PM to sunset at Calkins Nature Area. The event is free and open to the public, anyone can participate.
Tag and Learn
This is a great event for families and kids too! Come out to catch, tag, and release your very own monarch butterfly before they make their way to the Oyamel Fir Forests of central Mexico. We tag monarchs to learn more about their migration, survival, and how we might improve native ecosystems to benefit these exceptional pollinators. There may also be some education about monarch caterpillars, host plants, nectar plants, and the monarch's unique life cycle depending on time constraints.
Donation Thank You Ceremony
In addition to tagging monarchs, part of the event will include a ceremony to thank Shirley Welden and her family for the donation of the butterfly house, landscape pieces, and all of the other items they have given the nature center over the years. Shirley passed away this year and we would like to have a small ceremony in her honor. She never missed a monarch tagging day, so we figured this would be a great event to show our thanks.
Please join us for a fun evening! If you have any questions, please contact the nature center at 641-648-9878.