(Mission, TX) – You're invited to experience the splendor of migration at the 19^th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival! Hosted by the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, the nation’s premier butterflying event brings people from all around the world to the Rio Grande Valley to enjoy the unique volume and variety of wild butterflies that may only be found, here. This 4-day festival features a FREE Community Day, Saturday, November 1, as well as three days of paid excursions, educational sessions and expert-guided trips to private gardens and renowned public places, including hot spots and hard-to-find places familiar to local butterfly enthusiasts.

Photographing Butterflies, Birds and Bugs, a class for those who wish to take better pictures of small insects and birds, whether stationary or on the fly, will be offered Sunday, November 2. Luciano Guerra, a life-long Valley resident and award-winning photographer will be your instructor for this course.

"Regardless of your aspirations, learning from Luciano will boost your performance behind the lens,” states Marianna Trevino Wright, executive director of the National Butterfly Center. “This professional shutterbug will share valuable tips on everything from getting to know your camera settings to sitting in wait for that spectacular shot; so pack your camera and laptop, as well as your field gear for this practical workshop with a talented teacher.”

Luciano has been sharing his “Birding Texas Style” program across the Rio Grande Valley for years, to the delight of those who attend. Now, he’s expanding his presentation to include butterflies, which tend to be more accessible and cooperative subjects than birds.

“My goal is for people to gain confidence in exploring the outdoors to document the diversity of wildlife that may be found here, even if you’re only interested in discovering what’s in your own yard,” explains Luciano, past winner of the Best of Contest and the People’s Choice awards in the Small Tract Competition of the Valley Land Fund’s wildlife photo contest.

“We invite everyone to attend the Texas Butterfly Festival this fall to enjoy our bright, changing colors because they belong to the butterflies, birds and blooming flowers that burst onto the scene at this time of year,” states Wright.

To learn more about the 19^th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, and how you may join in the fun, check out the full schedule events, 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, visitwww.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.