Monarch Butterfly Day
Today will be focused on the Monarch Butterfly. Our program, from 10am-noon will have the presentation, How can we Help the Monarch?
From 1pm-2pm, Candy will also do a program at the library with children. If you have grandchildren, this might be a great time to bring them. Children will learn about Monarchs, make Monarch?crafts, and visit?Monarchs up close in the?Monarch tent. There will be?an hour between the programs for lunch...maybe a picnic in the park?
Our speaker is Candy Sarikonda.?Candy has a Master of Science in Nursing specializing in adult cardiology and nursing education. She is and has three children. Her entire family is heavily involved in her conservation efforts. Candy works for Monarch Watch as a Monarch Conservation Specialist
Candy has a passion for community outreach. For the past 10 years, she has been raising native Lepidoptera and providing educational programs for the public with her "lepidopteron ambassadors." Candy likes to work with all members of the public in an effort to educate people about land conservation and the impact of environmental practices on public health. She is especially interested in research and actively encourages people to get involved in citizen science programs and pollinator conservation efforts. Candy enjoys teaching people how to convert their own backyards into pollinator habitats and of course, Monarch Waystations. She loves working with school children and has a special affinity for helping autistic children explore the natural world around them. She truly believes that NO child OR parent should be left inside. Candy has been a volunteer for the Lourdes University Life Lab for the past 4 years, working to provide hands-on environmental education to over 4,000 young children each year. She provides many outreach educational programs as well, visiting schools, nature centers, parks, businesses, and botanical gardens in order to spread the word about pollinator conservation. Candy has also been a volunteer with the Nature Conservancy for the past 8 years, volunteering through Northwest Ohio's Kitty Todd Preserve. She specializes in helping people create Oak Openings native wildflower garden habitats at schools, parks, homes, hospitals and nature centers as part of the Conservancy's Green Ribbon Initiative. And lastly, Candy is a member of the Oak Openings chapter of Wild Ones. She is currently working to help establish a partnership between Wild Ones and the Monarch Joint Venture, while assisting Wild Ones chapters in their monarch conservation efforts.