Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet and smell with their antennae, or that hummingbirds have no sense of smell, but feed by their excellent vision and powerful straw-like tongue?
Everyone will enjoy discovering more about these and other winged pollinators living in Miami-Dade’s backyard, during “Butterfly and Bird Day,” on Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at Castellow Hammock Preserve and Nature Center, 22301 SW 162 Ave. At 7:30 a.m.,
Tropical Audubon Society will host a guided bird walk. Admission and activities are free.
The Day will feature: children’s activities, butterfly and bird presentations (various guest speakers), informational booths, plant and book sales, nature walks, and food and beverage vendors.
To view a list of guest speakers, visit www.miamiblue.org. For more information, contact Ernie Lynk at 305-666-5885 or by email at Ernest.Lynk@miamidade.gov.
The event is being presented by the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department in partnership with Miami Blue Chapter, North American Butterfly Association and Tropical Audubon Society, in support of conservation and sustainability awareness.
Local events, such as Butterfly and Bird Day, support the creation of new habitats for monarchs and other pollinators and help to educate the public on ways to become stewards for our precious parks and wildlife.
The 112-acre Castellow Hammock preserve contains a mature tropical hardwood forest with a half-mile self-guided nature trail. The park is named after James S. Castellow, a citrus farmer who homesteaded the property in the early 1900s. In 1974, it became one of the county’s first environmental education centers and remains a popular spot for bird/butterfly watchers and botanists.
