October 28, 2015January 25, 2016 by Jim Young

2015 Monarch Butterfly Festival at St. Marks NWR

This year’s Monarch Butterfly Festival was a great success!

The Monarchs showed up just in time and there was good food, great exhibits, and the popular monarch tagging table.

We’ll start with some images of the monarch tagging and as time permits I will add more images to this post.

Monarch Butterfly Tagging:

Emory University Monarch Health exhibit. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Biologist David Cook and volunteer Malia Byrtus at the monarch tagging table. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Biologist David Cook (Florida FWC) demonstrates monarch butterfly tagging. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

A monarch tracking tag is transferred from a toothpick to the mitten shaped area of the wing. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Children gather around monarch tagging exhibit. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Child looks at monarch butterfly on her hand. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Excited children and adults gather around monarch tagging table. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Refuge volunteers Betsy Sullivan and Yvonne Zola take wingspan measurement of visitors at the people tagging table. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Exhibits, Tours, and other events:

Refuge ambassadors assist visitors near lighthouse. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Photographer Phillip Pollock takes photo of refuge ambassador and visitors on tour wagon. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Members of the Florida A&M Entomology Club display a beautiful collection of butterflies and other insects. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Some of the beautiful butterflies at the FAMU Entomology table. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

The Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge exhibit with President Betty Hamilton. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Volunteers Kara Driscoll and Malia Byrtus at the face painting table. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Face painting creatures of concern in 2015: butterflies, milkweed plants, and bats. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Travis Pollard with fire truck and posters explaining the importance of fire in the ecosystem. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

Bradley's sausage dogs and hot dogs on the grill. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

The Picnic Pond Butterfly Garden. (10-24-2015) - St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge.

I’ll be posting more images soon!

Jim