NPS - National Park Service
07/17/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2024 14:57
Butterfly Walk
News Release Date:
July 17, 2024
July 17, 2024
Contact: Jesse Bolli, (402) 223-3514
On July 19 and 20, 2024 at 2 p.m. become a citizen scientist and join Homestead's Park Rangers to search and count butterflies! Meet at the Heritage Center for a brief introduction at 2 p.m. before heading outside. The current plan is to walk and make observations along a one-fourth of a mile prairie trail. Prepare for the weather with sun protection, close-toed shoes, and drinking water. Binoculars and cameras with telephoto lenses can be helpful in getting a good view of the butterflies.
Natural Resource Management Specialist Jesse Bolli stated that "Butterflies are not only beautiful and fun to watch, but they can also serve as indicator species for other insect species - if the butterflies are doing good then we can assume that other species are also doing good."
Homestead's diverse restored tallgrass prairie is a perfect habitat for many different butterflies. During a June survey, 21 different butterfly species were identified by Master Naturalist Jo Langabee.
Homestead National Historical Park is a unit of the National Park Service, located four miles west of Beatrice, NE. Summer hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is free! For more information, please call (402) 223-3514, or visit http://www.nps.gov/home.
For more information on available accommodations please contact Accessibility Coordinator, Amber Kirkendall at (402) 223-3514.
Remember, Homestead National Historical Park has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2024. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNHP), Instagram (HomesteadNPS), and Facebook (Homestead National Historical Park).
About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for the 429 parks in the National Park System and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.