Butterfly Monarchy Club

What a fabulous day this past Saturday at the 39th Annual SEED STEM Festival at USC Aiken!

The Butterfly Monarchy Club was thrilled to participate, and we were lucky to have several amazing volunteers—our own Polly Stimmel and Joanne Hamilton, along with USC Aiken student Alyssa Godfrey—helping us out. 🙌🦋

The highlight of the day? Seeing the priceless expressions of parents, grandparents, and children when they spotted a live monarch caterpillar and several monarch chrysalises. 😍🦋 It was a magical moment!

Our butterfly-themed activities were a huge hit, too! The coloring activity, and the giant floor puzzle was a big favorite with both children and parents! 🧩🎨

Such a wonderful event to showcase the beauty of monarch butterflies and spark curiosity about nature! 💚✨

🌸🦋 What a day! The Butterfly Monarchy Club had the pleasure of visiting North Aiken Elementary School yesterday. We were blown away by the curiosity and enthusiasm of these young minds! 🌱✨ We hope we've planted a seed of wonder and interest in butterflies that will continue to grow! 🌼🦋

Here’s to future butterfly lovers and nature protectors! 💚

🌿🦋 Pat Dunlop and Susan Potter of the Butterfly Monarchy Club had an amazing time with the McCormick Garden Club! This enthusiastic group kept them on their toes with great questions and plenty of one-on-one time. It was inspiring to hear how many members have been growing milkweed and nurturing monarchs 🦋🌱. They were eager to share their experiences and loved the show-and-tell featuring live caterpillars, tiny eggs, and stunning monarch chrysalises. What a wonderful day celebrating our love for butterflies and nature! 🌼

It was a wonderful morning at USC Aiken Center for Lifelong Learning! We had a great turnout for our presentation on “Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden,” with an engaged audience asking thoughtful questions during the Q&A session. A special highlight was the live “show and tell” exhibits, which really brought the topic to life!

Thanks to our speakers, Pat Dunlop, Vice President, and Susan Potter, President of the Butterfly Monarchy Club for their insightful presentations!

🦋 Join the Butterfly Monarchy Club at the 39th Annual SEED STEM Festival! 🦋

✨ Come explore the world of butterflies and discover the incredible life cycle of the monarch with live displays! 🌱 Plus, we’ve got fun coloring pages for the kids to learn more about the butterfly life cycle! It’s perfect for the whole family. We can’t wait to see you there!

🦋Postponed: Friday Morning Butterfly Monarchy Chapter Meeting 🦋

Hi all, due to the predicted inclement weather, we have decided to postpone our chapter meeting, which was scheduled for tomorrow morning (Friday). Please stay tuned for a new date and time—we will share updates with you soon.

Keep Safe!
The Butterfly Monarchy Club Board

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This pretty American Painted Lady visited yesterday on our butterfly bush. I hadn’t seen one of these in awhile so this was a fun find!

Please post your photos here too! Would love to see what’s flying around your yard.

SPECIAL NOTE: We are postponing tomorrow's chapter meeting due to the predicted inclement weather. New date and time coming soon -- Please stay safe! 🦋
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🦋 Reminder! Our Next Butterfly Monarchy Club Chapter Meeting is Friday, September 27 at 10 AM 🌿🦋

Don’t miss out on connecting with fellow butterfly enthusiasts and learning more about how we can support our local pollinators.

👉 Click the link to get event details: https://fb.me/e/3HoVgxWDX

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🌿🦋 Today, members of the Butterfly Monarchy Club had a wonderful time visiting a local kindergarten class to teach about the incredible life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly!

Over the next few weeks, these bright young students will dive into the fascinating journey of Monarchs—from laying eggs to becoming beautiful butterflies. This week, they were up close with a live milkweed plant, learning that it's not just the Monarch's favorite food but also where they lay their eggs. The excitement was real as they spotted tiny eggs and caterpillars on the plant!

The children also worked in their special butterfly journals, coloring and writing about everything they learned. 🖍️📚

We can't wait to return next week to continue this butterfly adventure and talk all about caterpillars!

🦋🌿

🌿 Join Us for a Special Class: Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden! 🌼

Looking to bring the beauty of butterflies to your garden? 🦋 Come learn from the experts! Our very own Butterfly Monarchy Club (BMC) board members, Susan Potter and Pat Dunlop, will host a fascinating class on Monday, October 14th, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at the Center for Lifelong Learning in Aiken. If you're interested in signing up, visit the CLL website, the link is in the comments section below. Here's more about the course:

Description: Class will be presented by Butterfly Monarchy Club (BMC) board members. The mission of the BMC is to encourage community involvement and education for the well-being and preservation of all butterflies with special emphasis on monarchs. The BMC has joined the North American Butterfly Association and is the first and only SC Chapter of the organization. Information will be provided on attracting butterflies to your garden and what can be done to help save the monarchs. Live exhibits including butterfly eggs, caterpillars, chrysalis' and butterflies will be on display at the class. Attendees will be provided informational handouts to include SC native plants which are host plants to butterflies and nectar plants for pollinators.

Found these two this morning and had to get a picture. They were sharing a stalk of milkweed and then fell asleep. Too cute! Happy gardening…🌱🐛🦋🌞

🌸 Thank You to Our Wonderful Pollinator Census Participants! 🌸

This morning, our dedicated group gathered to contribute to the Great Southeast Pollinator Census! 🐝🌼 Your enthusiasm and commitment to supporting our local pollinators is inspiring. Together, we're making a difference!

See everyone this Saturday, 10am at the Aiken County Public Library. The weather looks perfect….

🌼 Friendly Reminder! 🌼

Don't forget, our Pollinator Census is happening this Saturday at 10 AM! 🦋 Join us as we take a closer look at our buzzing and fluttering friends and contribute to conservation efforts.🦋

Please RSVP to [email protected] if you're planning to attend. Hope to see you there! 🌻

🦋🌻Join the Butterfly Monarchy Club for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census on Sat., Aug. 24 at 10 am!🌻🐝

This is a wonderful opportunity for us to contribute to important environmental research while enjoying the beauty of our local pollinators.

• Activities start on Saturday, August 24, 10:00 a.m. Expect to spend no more than an hour with us. We'll kick things off with a short workshop on how to identify and record what you see and supply you with Census sheets. Then you're off to see what's 🐝buzzing around!

• We will meet at the Carolina Bay Nature Preserve (across from O'Dell Weeks). Carolina Bay Nature Preserve | City of Aiken, SC Government (cityofaikensc.gov). Rain cancels.

Please RSVP to the [email protected] at your earliest convenience to let us know if you’ll be participating.

We hope you’ll join us for the workshop to make a meaningful contribution to pollinator research.

🦋🌸 Butterfly Count Day Highlights! 🌸🦋

Today, members of the Butterfly Monarchy Club gathered for an exciting and educational Butterfly Count! 🌿✨ With the expertise of Dr. Peter Stangel, we embarked on a beautiful tour of the Butterfly Park, learning how to identify various local butterfly species. 🦋📚

Participants are now spreading out to visit gardens across the area, continuing their count and contributing to our collective knowledge about these delicate and beautiful creatures. Check out the photos from today's activities! 📸🌼

🦋🦋 Reminder: Join Us this Saturday for the Annual Butterfly Count-Flutter by at 9am! (Pls. RSVP) 🦋🦋

This will be the second year of The Butterfly Monarchy Club's involvement in the CSRA, North America Butterfly Association (NABA) count. The Butterfly Count is a community-driven survey aimed at providing data that will help monitor butterfly populations in nature and assess the health of their environment.

📍Location: at the Woodside Reserve Butterfly Park. If you need a gate pass to access the community park or directions, please email [email protected].

🎒What to Bring: Please bring your cell phone to capture pictures of the butterflies you encounter - this is not required but recommended. Please also bring a $3 participation fee which will be submitted to NABA. *We will have pencils, colored identification and data count sheets at the park. Water will also be provided.

📧...and please don't forget to RSVP. Send us an email at [email protected] if you plan to attend.