*Please note: In light of COVID-19, the Arboretum has cancelled Monarch Butterfly Day 2020. In its place, we invite you to learn about monarchs at our outdoor “Discovery Station,” Saturdays in September from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m..*
Known for their stately colors and elegant wings, millions of monarch butterflies travel more than 2,000 miles from across North America to Mexico each fall, where they cluster in about a dozen small areas. Unfortunately, the monarch population has declined from 556 million in 2004 to a historic low of 33.5 million in 2014. This is due to the butterflies’ dramatic loss of habitat and food sources, including the milkweed plant.
As part of a national effort to stave off the decline of monarch butterflies, The North Carolina Arboretum will host its sixth annual Monarch Butterfly Day on Saturday, September 26, from 10 a.m to 4 p.m. inside the Arboretum’s Education Center and throughout its gardens. As part of this free event, participants will learn ways to help monarch butterflies, have the opportunity to purchase milkweed, create make-and-take butterfly crafts and witness monarch butterfly releases.
Participation for Monarch Butterfly Day is free; however, standard parking fees apply for non-members.