(Mission, TX) – You're invited to see what's behind the fence or past the wall in some of the best backyards for wildlife watching in our community! As part of the 18^th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, author and naturalist, Patricia Sutton, will lead the “Landscaping for Butterflies” field trip to yards large and very small, to show and tell you what can be done to transform your parcel of land into a slice of paradise.

A founding board member of the North American Butterfly Association, and working naturalist since 1977, Sutton is the author of the “How to Spot...” series of birding and butterflying books. In addition to leading the sold out guided night tour on “How to Spot an Owl”, Sutton will facilitate the educational session on landscaping, Sunday, November 3, at the National Butterfly Center, in Mission, Texas. From there, participants will depart to experience backyard habitats created by homeowners to enhance the liveability of their property for butterflies, birds and other wildlife. One residence on the tour boasts more than 110 species of butterflies passing through, while another has been host to more than 60 species of birds.

Mike and Lori Rhodes of Bentsen Palm Development, have embraced an eco-friendly revegetation practice that promotes native plants to combat the effects of clearing land for construction. This approach to landscaping at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort and the communities of Tangelwood and Retama Village, has resulted in a rich, colorful, vibrant environment where wildlife is welcome, protected and supported.

“Bentsen Palm Development was founded on the belief that natural beauty restores the soul,” states Mike Rhodes, owner of this 2,600 acre Master-Planned Conservation Community. “It is our greatest pleasure to offer communities that promote peace and harmony, not just betweeen people and their environment, but between people themselves. The benefits of this philosophy are obvious in the spill over, as visitors and homeowners seek to replicate what we've started here, in yard after yard. In fact, two of our residents will be sharing their beautiful backyard habitats on the Texas Butterfly Festival's 'Landscaping for Butterflies' tour.”

“The Rio Grande Valley is unique in the United States for the number of species and brilliant variety of butterflies that may be found here, and approximately 150 types of North American butterflies may only be found here,” states Marianna Trevino Wright, executive Director of the National Butterfly Center, organizer of the Texas Butterfly Festival. “This is why the one-and-only National Butterfly Center is located in Mission, Texas, and why we have people traveling from as far away as Australia to participate in the Texas Butterfly Festival. For distant visitors during peak butterflying season, our excursions are compared to going on safari in an exotic place full of fascinating creatures. For locals, October and November present the perfect time to see South Texas in ways you may not have, before, with the assistance of expert guides and world-class trip leaders.”

To learn more about the 18^th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, and how you may join in the fun, check out the full schedule of field trips and educational sessions at www.texasbutterflyfestival.com. Online registration is open, and trips are booking fast!

The National Butterfly Center's cultivated gardens contain approximately 100 native plant species that provide food for butterflies, caterpillars and birds. Many of these plants are available for sale in our nursery, where pollinator-friendly plants are grown without harmful pesticides or herbicides. Don't miss this excellent opportunity to learn to more about building your own butterfly garden and creating a drought-hearty, low-maintenance landscape that is beautiful and beneficial to both people and wildlife.

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The National Butterfly Center is committed to ‘Growing Connections’ between people, plants, and the winged wonders that pollinate and propagate all that grows around us. We do this through educational and environmental initiatives that cultivate meaningful understanding of the processes that create sustainable ecosystems. The Center is open to the public, for visitors and members, seven days/week.

To learn more about the National Butterfly Center, and how you can join us, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org, or call 956.583.5400. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.