The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix will put the spotlight on one of its most prominent seasonal visitors, the monarch butterfly, starting this Saturday, October 3.
Every Saturday morning through November 14, the DBG will host a monarch butterfly walk where participants are likely to see dozens of monarchs. The garden has been designated a "Colossal Monarch Waystation" by Monarch Watch, and butterflies often stop there on their way south to Mexico.
On the walks, which go from 9 to 10 a.m., you can see native milkweed species, hunt for monarch caterpillars and tag monarch butterflies, the DBG says in a news release. There's no registration required, but the walks are limited to 25 participants. The walks are free with DBG membership or paid admission, which ranges from $10 to $22 depending on age.
Additionally, the garden is hosting "Meet the Caterpillars" on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, also through November 14. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., visit the Center for Desert Living Trail to see live caterpillars eating their host plants, molting into delicate chrysalises and, if you're lucky, emerging as butterflies. That's also included with DBG admission or membership.
The DBG's Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion closed in May of this year, but a new, expanded butterfly exhibit is slated to open in the spring of 2017. There won't be any dedicated butterfly exhibits at the garden until then, but butterflies will still be visible throughout the garden.
To learn more, call the garden at 480-941-1225 or visit www.dbg.org.
NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly featured a photo of a queen butterfly. We regret the error.