Join Us, Friends!
for the 9th annual Festival celebrating the monarch butterfly, pollinators, & the ecosystem that sustains both them & us!
PLant · Pollinate · Play
On october 7, 2023, Over five thousand friends Gathered to immerse themselves in Nature-based activities with over 30 educational partners.
People as Pollinators Experiment
Over 4,000 guests transformed into their favorite butterfly, bee, bat, or bird!
Monarch Butterfly Tagging
325 Monarch Butterflies were tagged and released in a citizen science project in partnership with Monarch Watch.
Monarch Migration Obstacle course
Kids of all ages became monarchs and flew the multi-generational Spring monarch migration by eating milkweed and metamorphosizing 3 times. They then overcame obstacles like hail, hurricanes and taggers as they made their way back to Mexico for the Fall Migration.
Pollinator procession
Festival attendees joined our friends at Bexar Brass as they danced, fluttered, and buzzed through the festival in true pollinator style.
Dia de los muertos Altar
Festival attendees were invited to onnect with the spiritual aspect of the monarch, celebrate Dia de los Muertos, and the return of the monarchs to Mexico
Plants, Trees, & more!
Over 800 trees were adopted and 3,000 native plants were given away.
Education partners
The festival sprouted seven years ago, thanks to Monika Maeckle of Texas Butterfly Ranch, a digital media organization that engages readers through educational, nature-based blogs. Together with community allies, Texas Butterfly Ranch nurtured the festival into Texas' grandest celebration of monarchs and pollinators. This year, festival manager Ashley Bird, under the Blooming with Birdie banner, takes the lead. Join thousands of pollinator lovers as we educate and inspire our community to make positive change in the world around us.
