Lost River Cave holds annual butterfly release: why butterfly education matters

1 hour ago

Porsha Hernandez,

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Lost River Cave held its annual butterfly release.

On Wednesday, dozens of butterflies were woken from their artificial nap in the palm of visitors at the Bowling Green Charlie Miller Butterfly House.

In the butterfly habitat, there are multiple different species and nectar plants dedicated to being a learning experience for visitors.

“They are the best gateway bug. They don’t bite and don’t sting, and it’s an opportunity to get up close and personal with them,” said Katie Cielinski, the executive director of Philosophy for Lost River Cave.

Credit: Porsha Hernandez

She said butterflies play a pivotal role in our ecosystem. According to Science.org, studies have revealed that the number of butterflies has decreased by 22% across the us.

“Butterflies are really important for the ecosystem. They are pollinators and they are part of the food chain, so butterflies declining in the wild is a bigger issue than just losing butterflies. It impacts a lot of things, so part of the purpose of the Charlie Miller Butterfly Habitat is that people can come and learn and appreciate them and then hopefully go home and plant or host nectar plants that will support the wild population,” Cielinski said.