National Butterfly Awareness Day ~ June 6

The Association For Butterflies' first National Butterfly Awareness Day was held on June 6, 2009.

Promoted through the AFB website and individually by butterfly farmers, we consider it a success.

The primary purposes were to educate people about butterfly releases, to encourage people to plant butterfly gardens to help alleviate disappearing butterfly habitats, and to urge children to raise butterflies.

One such event took place in Charlottesville, VA. Linda Marchman of Social Butterflies contacted the local newspaper and promoted NBAD in an article. A small crowd gathered at a local park as she discussed butterfly host and nectar plants, pointed out sassafras trees as a host plant for Spicebush caterpillars and discovered some false nettle growing wild with a Red Admiral caterpillar hiding in a leaf fold. She then released a dozen butterflies, including Monarchs, Painted ladies, and Black Swallowtails. The attendees all said they would look forward to next year's NBAD.

The AFB hopes that other people will get involved next year so that it will be celebrated throughout the country for years to come.