SPRINGFIELD, MO — Friends of the Garden’s Butterfly Festival marks 12 years of celebrating pollinators Saturday, June 19, 2021, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Springfield Botanical Gardens at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 S. Scenic Ave., Springfield, Mo. The free event features Master Gardeners of Greene County’s educational program for children, Young Sprouts in the Garden.

All ages are invited to celebrate pollinators and nature in an extraordinary setting. A variety of activities, performances and vendors offers something for everyone.

Visit the Roston Native Butterfly House and Caterpillar Petting Zoo to get an up-close look at the butterfly and moth life cycles. Volunteers raise and care for thousands of caterpillars, moths and butterflies throughout the year to make this unique exhibit possible. 

Enjoy gardening adventures and create butterfly- and nature-related crafts provided by the Master Gardeners of Greene County as part of their Young Sprouts in the Garden educational program. The schedule includes:

All ages are needed to help count butterflies at the Kickapoo Edge Prairie with Dorothy Thurman and Jeff Grayless, both citizen scientists and volunteers at the Roston Native Butterfly House Docent. The numbers are recorded to monitor butterfly populations each year.  Meet at the welcome tent at Noon to participate.

Purchase your wildlife-friendly plants, get lost in a story as read by the Springfield-Greene County Library District and watch in awe as The Instars perform their Butterfly Magic Show. Enjoy free admission to the widely-acclaimed Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden and free tours of the historic Gray/Campbell Farmstead and Liberty School.   

Learn about necessary host and nectar plants that support butterfly life cycles by participating in garden walks through the Butterfly and Herb Gardens.  Experts from the Botanical Gardens and the Springfield Area Herb Society will be on hand to answer your questions. 

Cool off inside the Botanical Center building and enjoy nearly 100 photos from the Eagle Eye Camera Club.  All photos on display were taken at the Springfield Botanical Gardens.  This club introduces 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade students, from the John Thomas School of Discovery in Nixa, to photography through fun and experiential learning.   

Many volunteers are needed to ensure this popular community event runs smoothly. If you are interested in helping, please visit FriendsoftheGarden.org/Butterfly-Festival to sign up.

Friends of the Garden is proud to partner with the Springfield-Greene County Park Board and Master Gardeners of Greene County to make this event possible.

The Butterfly Festival is also made possible by generous community sponsors: The Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and the City of Springfield Environmental Services.

Friends of the Garden’s mission is to inspire the discovery, understanding, and appreciation of nature by creating and maintaining gardens at the Springfield Botanical Gardens and by supporting the mission of the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center and Park Board.

For more information, please visit FriendsoftheGarden.org/Butterfly-Festival or the Butterfly Festival Facebook event, call 417-864-1341, or e-mail info@friendsofthegarden.org.

For media inquiries, contact contact Lisa Bakerink, Development Director for Friends of the Garden, at 417-864-1341; or Jenny Fillmer Edwards, Public Information Administrator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, at 417-224-5510.

 ###