National 'Learn About Butterflies Day' Celebrated At The Living Desert Zoo And Gardens Pollination Event

PALM DESERT, CA —Saturday is National Learn About Butterflies Day at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Yes, it will be hot, but learning about butterflies and pollinators is a cool activity for everyone, especially during their Mission: Pollination! exhibit, currently underway.

The community is invited to the conservation-focused zoo at 47900 Portola Ave, in Palm Desert, between March 14 and April 30, to discover how butterflies and other pollinators support the natural world through its interactive exhibit.

While visiting the zoo, experience features larger-than-life pollinator displays, butterfly learning stations and interactive challenges throughout the park, spokesperson Jenny Lynn Robinson said.

"Pollinators play a much bigger role in our daily lives than most people realize. Butterflies are one of many contributors, supporting desert landscapes and tropical gardens across North America. Mission: Pollination! introduces visitors to several species and the habitats they help support."

The Monarch Butterfly is famous for migrating thousands of miles across North America. Monarchs visit flowers for nectar along the way, helping pollinate plants across multiple ecosystems.

The Karner Blue Butterfly Found in sandy pine forests and open oak woodlands, Karner blue butterflies depend on wild lupine plants for their caterpillars and help pollinate native wildflowers as they feed on nectar.

The Malachite Butterfly, Known for its bold green-and-black wings, feeds on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, helping pollinate tropical gardens and forests.

The Poweshiek Skipperling is a tiny butterfly that once thrived in Midwestern prairie grasslands. Poweshiek skipperlings feed on nectar from native wildflowers, helping pollinate plants that support prairie ecosystems.

"These butterflies represent just a few of the many pollinators that help keep plants, habitats and food systems thriving. Through hands-on activities and discovery stops throughout the park, Mission: Pollination! invites visitors to navigate an activity-filled maze, complete riddles and collect playing cards as they explore the Zoo, encountering dozens of supersized pollinators along the way," Robinson shared.

Each activity highlights simple ways guests can help protect pollinators at home. Learn more about butterflies and Mission: Population! by visiting www.LivingDesert.org/Mission-Pollination