Whether it’s counting butterflies or just watching them, upcoming events aim to connect Louisville residents with nature. There’s both a butterfly census and butterfly release planned for next weekend.On Saturday, fifty butterflies will be released in a community garden at Blackacre Conservancy. The butterflies are in a cold-induced sleep, and will be shaken into children’s hands to slowly warm up before they’re released.Dale Josey is the executive director of Blackacre. He says the conservancy is creating a special space to encourage the butterflies to stay in the garden. Besides being pretty, the insects will help pollinate the plants.“We thought we would claim this unused land to establish a butterfly garden,” Josey says. “When the butterflies awaken, they’ll have food available, we have some of their favorite flowers, and they’ll also need some water. So we have some nourishing marshes that are also being established for this purpose.”It’s a coincidence that Saturday is also the national butterfly census. University of Louisville butterfly specialists will lead a group through the U of L’s Horner Wildlife Sanctuary in Oldham County to document the various species. Last year, volunteers counted 36 species and 765 individual butterflies.For more information about the butterfly census, contact U of L biology professor emeritus Charles Covell at 502-639-2691 or email covell@louisville.edu.To register for the Blackacre butterfly release, or for more information, call 502-266-9802 or click here.
