MEETINGS & BUTTERFLY WALKS

MEETINGS, BUTTERFLY WALKS & SPECIAL EVENTS

***Please note that we alternate Meetings and Butterfly Walks.***

2026-2027 Butterfly Walks and Chapter Meetings

Atala Chapter Meetings

Meetings are free and open to the public.

Mounts Building Auditorium at Mounts Botanical Garden

531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Fl 33415

https://www.mounts.org

Mounts Auditorium is at the front of the Garden at the Military Trail entrance.

Directions to Mounts Botanical Garden. Exit 1-95 at Belvedere Road. Go west about 3 miles to Military Trail. Take left (south) and go 0.5 mile to Mounts Building at main Military Trail entrance on right (west).

For more information contact nabapalmbeach@gmail.com

Please note we alternate Meetings and Butterfly Walks. Check the schedule for dates.

All meetings are free and open to the public. No registration required unless otherwise noted.

Saturday, January 23, 2027, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM - Mounts Building Auditorium

The Program: Designing Pollinator-Friendly Butterfly Gardens with Melissa Moyroud

Join Melissa Moyroud, proprietor of Lorax Designs, for a presentation on designing beautiful, pollinator-friendly butterfly gardens that support butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. Drawing on her experience creating Florida-friendly landscapes, Melissa will share practical tips for planning and maintaining a garden that provides nectar sources, host plants, and year-round habitat for native pollinators. Learn how to incorporate native and other well-adapted plants into a landscape that is both attractive and functional, while using sustainable practices such as minimal irrigation and pesticide-free gardening. Whether you are starting a new garden or enhancing an existing one, you'll leave with ideas and inspiration for creating a thriving butterfly oasis at home.

Saturday, February 13, 2027, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM - Mounts Building Auditorium

The Program: Propagating for Fun and Butterflies with Michael Kohner

Join native plant gardener Michael Kohner for Propagating for Fun and Butterflies, a fun and practical look at growing native plants for pollinators and butterfly habitat. Leave with free seeds, seedlings, cuttings, soil, and confidence. Learn easy techniques to propagate native plants, turn that brown thumb green, and convert your seeds, cuttings, and seedlings into thriving plants for your garden. We will cover soil, propagation techniques, common mistakes, and successful methods. The focus will be on the basics, with some additional tips and techniques that even experienced gardeners may not already know. Michael's passion is growing plants for restoration projects and community native plant giveaways, and he enjoys sharing the knowledge and skills that help gardeners create more habitat for butterflies and other pollinators.

Saturday, March 13, 2027, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM - Mounts Building Auditorium

The Program: Connecting the Dots: How Native Plant Networks Can Support Urban Lepidoptera Conservation with Lisa Baig

Lisa Baig, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Broward College and a PhD Candidate in Geosciences at Florida Atlantic University, will present her research on urban lepidoptera conservation in her program entitled Connecting the Dots: How Native Plant Networks Can Support Urban Lepidoptera Conservation. Her work examines how citizen science and native plant and pollinator gardens, particularly those featuring targeted larval host plants, can create viable habitat corridors in developed areas. Lisa will share insights and data from a case study of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's Native Plant Network, demonstrating how the distribution of these gardens can support rare, non-migratory butterfly species.

Saturday, May 15, 2027, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM - Mounts Auditorium

The Program: On Your Marks! Get Ready for 2027 Butterfly Counts by Alana Edwards and Teri Jabour.

Learn about the butterflies we see in Palm Beach County on our local butterfly counts! The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) annual 4th of July Butterfly Count is an important project to collect data about local butterfly species. The Atala Chapter has conducted these butterfly counts since 1995! Chapter members will share their tips on how to identify local butterflies we see in natural areas and in our yards. Being able to recognize the most common—and uncommon—butterflies will increase your enjoyment of butterfly watching as well as be an important part of this annual butterfly monitoring project.

Butterfly Hike

Saturday, November 7, 2026

10:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.

Yamato Scrub Natural Area

701 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, FL 33487

This butterfly hike is an Adopt A Natural Area program in partnership with Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management (ERM). Yamato Scrub is 217 acres of coastal scrub, located on Palm Beach County’s Atlantic Coastal Ridge. It is the largest natural scrub area in southern Palm Beach County. There are 5 distinct habitats with 63% scrub habitat and areas of pine flatwoods, hammock and wetland marsh. There are many air plants and wildflowers, including golden rod, large-flowered rosemary, tarflower and skyblue lupine. Zebra Heliconian, Gulf Fritillary, Red Admiral, Giant Swallowtail and several sulphur butterflies have been seen there. There is commo/netted pawpaw so maybe a Zebra Swallowtail can be spotted! The Cicada Nature Trail (paved) 0.7 miles is handicap accessible, and Skyline Lupine Hiking Trail (sandy) 2.8 miles is easy walking with maintained trail.

For more information about Yamato Scrub Natural Area see:

https://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/naturalareas/yamato-scrub.aspx

Free but space limited. Register after Oct. 14 with PBC ERM at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adventure-awaits-butterfly-hike-registration-2002626011309?aff=oddtdtcreator

Or, email nabapalmbeach@gmail.com to register.

Wear walking shoes, bring hat, bug spray, sunscreen and drinking water.

Please note, there are no public facilities or drinking water.

Butterfly Hike

Saturday, April 10, 2027, 10 AM-12 PM

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

16450 SE Federal Hwy, Hobe Sound, FL 33455

Jonathan Dickinson State Park (JDSP) is part of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service. It is over 10,500 acres, making it the largest state park in southeast Florida. It sits on the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and encompasses 16 natural ecosystems, including coastal sand hills, upland lakes, wet prairies, dome swamps, pine flatwoods and scrub forests. The Loxahatchee River, Florida’s first National Wild & Scenic River provides mangrove estuaries and other habitats that attract wildlife, particularly birds. JDSP typically provides one of the highest numbers of butterfly species and individual butterflies on our annual 4th of July Butterfly Count. Palamedes and Zebra Swallowtails are seen. Sixty-two (62) Zebra Swallowtails counted in 2026! Many skipper, hairstreak and sulphur butterflies are also seen. This hike will be led by experienced NABA members! Register at nabapalmbeach@gmail.com

Wear walking shoes, bring hat, bug spray, sunscreen and drinking water.

EVENTS

Green Cay Wildlife Celebration

Saturday, December 5, 2026, 9.m. - 3 p.m.

Green Cay Wetlands

12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33437

Natural Areas Festival

Saturday, January 30, 2027, 1:00 to 6:00 PM

Winding Waters Natural Area, 6161 Haverhill Road N., West Palm Beach, Fl 33411.

Environmental Resources Management Natural Areas Festival (pbcgov.org)

Atala Butterfly Festival

Saturday, February 27, 2027, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM