(Mission, TX) – The keynote speaker for the 24th annual Texas Butterfly Festival is Emmy Award-winning film maker Ann Johnson Prum. Producer and cinematographer for the PBS Nature feature film, Sex, Lies & Butterflies, filmed in part at the National Butterfly Center, Prum is delighted to return to the Rio Grande Valley to observe and learn more about the incredible biodiversity located here, as well as the deleterious effects of Trump’s proposed border wall.

When asked about her previous experience at the center, she stated, “I am excited to revisit the National Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande Valley! In most cases, my films focus on one species at a time, because I like to do a deep dive and learn all I can in order to bring that to the viewer—and there is so much more to see, here.”

Concerning butterflies and the annual festival, Prum asserts, “There are so many butterfly stories that haven’t been told. Beyond the Monarch, most people know very little about the plethora of pollinators that make life sustainable on planet Earth.”

She continues, “Why do we only know about this one species, when they all matter?”

Prum’s films, including Super Hummingbirds, and her current project about the “insect armageddon” provide insights and intimate details of the lives of creatures with which we are often fascinated.

“What is more magical than a butterfly?” asks Prum. “They flit in and out of our yards; they transform in chrysalis; they are magical in their frailty and truly remarkable in their strength. They are a phantom presence that appears and makes our lives better for it. If I can turn my camera to these special insects and help people think, ‘Wow, how coo?l!’ and appreciate all they offer and represent, then I have done my job.”

For one night in Mission, Texas, Prum will present her special perspective and share images from her projects concerning butterflies, the dynamic and endangered borderlands, and the rich biodiversity found here that is practically unrivaled.

To attend the Keynote Speaker’s Banquet, and enjoy the opportunity to interact with Prum, tickets are available for $60 per person by phone at 956-583-5400.

The 24h annual Texas Butterfly Festival is the nation’s premier butterflying event. Registrants and special guests are entitled to the expertise of world-class guides and expert educators. Although many field trips are already sold out, it is not too late to register at www.TexasButterflyFestival.com.

To learn more about the National Butterfly Center, and how you can join us, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org or call 956-583-4300. Your annual membership or charitable gift impacts the beauty of our community and helps preserve the biologically diverse, natural treasures of deep South Texas.

###

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.