To kick-off butterfly season, join Butterfly Enthusiasts of Northern Arizona on Saturday, March 14, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. for an outdoor garden talk at the Page Springs Fish Hatchery Visitor Center’s Monarch Waystation Garden, located at 1600 N. Page Springs Road in Cornville.
Becky Hardy, co-founder and president of BENA, will discuss the two types of plants butterflies require to thrive. Come find out more about these plants, how to attract an abundance of butterflies to your garden and how to help them thrive.
Butterflies are enchanting, mystical and critical to healthy ecosystems. In March 2025, the journal Science announced butterflies have declined 22% over the last 20 years. Although reasons for the decline weren’t studied, researchers suggest probable climate change, habitat loss and insecticide use are responsible. Researchers — that included scientists and community science volunteers — also found the largest decline is in the Southwest.
BENA’s parent organization, the nationally recognized North American Butterfly Association, with volunteers from 24 chapters across the United States, contributed the most comprehensive nationwide dataset of butterfly occurrences to this study.
As BENA begins its second year as Northern Arizona’s butterfly conservation and education nonprofit, it invites the community to join for a line-up of events, including butterfly field trips, garden talks, community science events, volunteer opportunities and other events throughout 2026.
Visit butterflyenthusiastsofnaz.org to find out more about this and future events. For questions or to find out more about volunteer opportunities, email info@butterflyenthusiastsofnaz.org. With help, residents and the club can make a difference to help butterflies thrive.
