DAVENPORT, IOWA (August 26, 2019) — Butterfly-lovers of all ages are invited to the Putnam Museum and Science Center on Saturday, August 31, for the return of its annual event celebrating everything about monarchs.
The Monarch Butterfly Workshop will offer butterfly-themed crafts and activities for all ages, 10AM-3PM. Visitors will take away the skills they need to engage in citizen science and help boost the monarch population as they bring home their own monarch caterpillars.
“After a decline in population of nearly 90% in recent decades, the monarch butterfly is being considered for endangered species status. The Quad Cities community plays an important role in restoring this butterfly’s natural habitat as we are on the Central flyway for the monarchs’ migration between Canada and Mexico,” said Rachael Mullins Steiner, Putnam president and CEO. “It’s important that we all know the simple things we can do in our own backyard to help restore their natural habitat. This workshop lets families learn in a fun and hands-on way how to be part of the growing resurgence of the monarch species.”
Tickets for the monarch workshop and activities are $11 and include a screening of the documentary "Flight of the Butterflies 3D" in the GIANT Screen Theater. The film follows hundreds of millions of monarchs from Canada and across the US in their migration to Mexico.
Workshop-only tickets are $6, and extra caterpillars to take home are $3 each. Pre-registration is required, and visitors are asked to bring a jar with a lid to safely transport their caterpillar.
Attendees must register by Friday, August 30, at the Putnam ticket counter, by phone at 563-324-1933, or by filling out and returning a registration form available for download at www.putnam.org/monarchs.
Choose from multiple workshops
Visitors can choose from butterfly care workshops at 1PM or 2PM. Workshops are required to take a caterpillar home.
Showings of "Flight of the Butterflies 3D" are at noon, 1PM and 2PM.
Not All Milkweed is the Same
The Putnam’s partnership with Iowa State University’s Master Gardeners Program includes a pollinator’s garden on-site at the museum. The garden is home to several Monarch caterpillars in various stages of development enjoying the milkweed planted on site. Workshop attendees are encouraged to visit the garden to see the caterpillars in the natural setting. The milkweed is a cultivated strand, encouraged by experts as preferred for monarch populations in the Midwest, though all milkweed varieties will attract and nourish the butterflies. See the following resources:
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/yard-and-garden-all-about-milkweed
Get more out of your trip!
General admission to the museum and science center is not included in the price of the butterfly workshop, but is available for $9 for adults, $8 for youth (ages 3-17) and free for members. Seniors, college students, and military each save $1 on their purchase of general admission tickets.
Learn more about the Putnam at www.putnam.org.
About the Putnam
The Putnam has been inspiring ideas, dialogue and interaction among people of all ages for 150 years. And today, we’re better than ever with hands-on fun for the whole family. Launch rockets or interact with a robot in the Science Center, “touch the untouchable” in the Augmented Reality Experience, visit our famous mummies in Unearthing Ancient Egypt, climb into a tree house in Black Earth | Big River, or go back in time to see our region’s history in River, Prairie and People. Also experience internationally-recognized traveling-exhibits or take in a movie in the GIANT Screen Theater with a screen towering six stories tall. Our welcoming team is dedicated to helping you discover and explore in a friendly and engaging place.
