2011 Tippecanoe County Butterfly Encounter to Take Place on
Saturday, July 16 at Prophetstown State Park

Butterfly enthusiasts of all ages and expert levels are invited to visit Prophetstown State Park in Battle Ground, Indiana for a celebration of butterflies on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The Butterfly Encounter is sponsored by Evonik and the Department of Entomology at Purdue University. It is a family-friendly event celebrating the beauty and diversity of Indiana butterflies. No previous butterfly knowledge is necessary. Everyone from the novice to the expert is welcome and encouraged to attend. Entomologists will help identify the common butterflies of Indiana and discuss butterfly biology, including the importance of habitat and conservation to endangered species and biodiversity. Resource materials for the event can be found at: <http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/butterflycount/event.html>.

Two workshops will be offered on Saturday morning prior to the event. The first will be a nature photography workshop led by Gene White, a photography consultant specializing in insect images. Anyone interested from the point and shoot novice to the intermediate photographer is encouraged to attend if they are interested in improving their nature photography skills. The second workshop will be provided by Reni Winter of Winterhaven Wildflowers. Winter is a local expert on Monarch butterflies and their habitats, and will give a talk and provide a demonstration of how to plant a butterfly garden using native plants.

Schedule for Saturday July 16

10:00 - 11:00 Photography workshop (followed by an hour of photography practice)
11:00 - 12:00 How to Plant a Butterfly Garden
12:00 - 1:00 Picnic lunch (provided by EVONIK)
1:00 - 1:30 Identification tutorial/breaking into groups
1:30 - 3:00 Butterfly appreciation walks
3:00 - 4:00 Compilation of results

In previous years, this event has taken place at the Evonik Wildlife Habitat, but because of construction at the site the event will take place at Prophetstown State Park this year. The entrance to the park is located at 5545 Swisher Road in West Lafayette, IN. There is a Gate Fee of $6.00 for noncommercial vehicles with Indiana license plates. This fee includes both the entrance into the park and Historic Prophetstown. Once inside the park, participants should plan to meet at the Coneflower Recreation Building; parking and restrooms are adjacent to the Coneflower. More information on Prophetstown State Park can be found at: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2971.htm

In the event of inclement weather the event will be cancelled. For more information on the event, please contact Melissa Shepson at 765-494-0997 or mshepson@purdue.edu. If you plan to attend the picnic, please RSVP to Helena Haugen at 765-477-4228 or helena.haugen@evonik.com.