Monarch Mania celebrates butterflies at MDC Gorman Discovery Center

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News from the region
Kansas City
Published Date
09/06/2013
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Kansas City, Mo. – Monarch butterlies and their magnificent migrations from the heartland to Mexico will provide a hands-on, scientific event 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Missouri Department of Conservation's Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., in Kansas City.

Scientists throughout the United States put tiny paper tags on butterflies and record information about the insect, such as where captured and tagged. If the tags are found, they include a contact address to report the find. Thus the flight patterns and numbers of orange and black butterflies are tracked. They migrate south during winter to a forested mountain area in Mexico. Their descendants come north in spring and produce the butterflies admired in summer.

Monarch Mania activities at the Gorman Discovery Center will include talks on how the caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis into a butterfly and what is known about migration patterns. Participants may also have the chance to tag and release a monarch butterfly.

For more information, call 816-759-7300 or go to mdc.mo.gov/discoverycenter.