The Town of Jupiter’s Loxahatchee River Center, located at 805 North U.S. Highway One, invites you to flutter on over to the first Atala Butterfly Festival and Family Day. On Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 will be celebrating the Atala butterfly! Once thought to be extinct, this beautiful butterfly is local and flourishing in our own backyard. 

The Atala is a small colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southeastern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and on other Caribbean islands. Its coloration and habits are unique among butterflies within its scale. Due to the decline in the butterfly’s host plant, triggered by overharvesting the root of the plant for starch by early settlers, the Atala butterfly was thought to be extinct from until 1959.

Join other Jupiter area friends and family for this exciting event celebrating the beautiful butterfly.  Lots of activities are planned which will include:

- Butterfly arts and crafts

- Native Plant seed harvesting

- Native Plant Sale

- Tours of the River Center butterfly garden

Three different lectures all about the Atala, of course, and native butterfly plants. Come celebrate the Atala Florida population not being extinct. It is now listed as “endangered” by the State of Florida. Re-colonizing attempts from the Bahaman population is yielding positive results!

RSVP to River Center to attend (561) 743-7123 

DATE:  February 29, 2020

TIME:  10:00 am - 1:00 pm