The monarch butterfly known to travel thousands of miles for their annual migration are now classified as “Endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Monarch butterflies are essential pollinators in the same way that bees and other insects pollinate flowers and the many fresh foods we enjoy.

The first annual Southwest Monarch Butterfly Festival is coming up on October 14 on the campus of Scottsdale Community College.

The festival will be free for all ages and will include guest speakers and hands-on activities. 

“Since we’ve been working together for so long we just decided to do this joint festival; to kind of celebrate the 20 years of information we’ve been gathering,” said Natalie Case, Exhibits Curator for the Center for Native and Urban Wildlife.

With the creation of this festival, the hope is to achieve more care for the monarch butterfly population, and more awareness about what people can do to help them. 

“Reducing pesticide use, providing nectar plants… creating a welcoming space,“ Case said.

These are some of the ways the center has been helping and the general public can use these guides to help as well. 

“There’s so much in the world that’s going on and… we have to sit here and we can’t do anything about it,” Case said.  

Everyone can make a difference in their own way, even if they seem small.