Media Release
Wild Amelia
Contact: Kathy Brooks
[email protected] 904-277-4507
June 25, 2016 1:00 a.m.
Wild Amelia has announced that the butterfly has been selected as the “Critter of the Year” for Festival year 2017 and the 11th annual Wild Amelia Nature Festival, scheduled at venues on and around Amelia Island from May 19-21. 2017.
Each year, the Festival has highlighted one Amelia Island animal in its educational programs; past years have honored the painted bunting, the North Atlantic Right Whale, the gopher tortoise, the American alligator, the great egret, the bobcat, the horseshoe crab, the manatee, the green anole, and the shark. This year, Wild Amelia—for the first time—has chosen to highlight an insect, the butterfly.
Florida is home to 170 species of the world’s 17, 500 species of butterflies. The warm climate and extended growing season of this state make it an ideal habitat for butterflies, often in flight year-round in Florida.
All butterflies have two pairs of wings, covered with overlapping scales. They vary greatly in size, color and color pattern. They all have four stages of development: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. Butterflies, like all living things, require food, water, and shelter. All butterflies are herbivores and eat plants and plant nectar and juices.
The caterpillar feeds off a host plant; for example, the gulf fritillary’s host plant is the passionflower; the monarch’s, milkweed. The butterfly feeds off special nectar plants. Therefore, good butterfly gardens will offer host and nectar plants for butterfly visitors. Butterflies have an average lifespan of 20-40 days; some species live only 3-4 days, while others may live as long as six months.
Butterflies face numerous threats to their survival now. In addition to the predators that have always threatened them—birds, snakes, small mammals, and spiders—butterflies are now threatened by climate change and extreme weather such as wild temperature fluctuations, strong winds, and rains. They are also victims of habitat loss due to commercial, residential, and agricultural development. They are extremely sensitive to herbicides and pesticides used in these developed areas. It is because of these numerous and ever-growing threats that Wild Amelia has selected the butterfly as the “critter of the year.”
Wild Amelia will offer educational programs this year about the butterflies of Florida and smart butterfly gardening.
About Wild Amelia
Wild Amelia is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate residents and visitors about the wild places and wildlife of Amelia Island. For more information about the upcoming programs of Wild Amelia and the 11th annual Wild Amelia Nature Festival in May 2017, please visit wildamelia.com and Wild Amelia on Facebook.