Washington Butterfly Association took part in the Sammamish Valley Pollinator Festival this year at 21 Acres Farm on May 4th, hosted by Liz Kuehn and Maureen Traxler. Despite the damp and dreary weather an estimated 900 people came out to stroll through the many information booths. Our WBA display was colorful and fun drawing quite a crowd.

Children seemed particularly delighted by our displays and impressed us with their knowledge about butterflies. I think I learned a few things from them! Some crowd pleasers were: the pupae and cocoon display Melanie Weiss had assembled and loaned to us, and Al Wagar’s display of a small sampling of butterflies from the region. Handouts, bookmarks and brochures were all gone by the end of the day. Children earned a flapping paper butterfly by arranging a butterfly life cycle in proper order. Most of them nailed it, metamorphosis education is going strong it seems. We sent them home with a maze puzzle and stickers. Adults were also delighted by our displays and information sheets about Puget Sound butterflies, their flight times, host and nectar plants. We sent them home with WBA brochures. For me as a first time table host, it was a fun and engaging experience. The festival goers were enthusiastic to learn about our organization and tips on how to attract and enjoy our region’s butterflies.

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