Monarchs Descend Upon Lake Katherine

They swept through the air, dodging hands and heads, with wings fluttering 300 strong.

"Oh no, it's on my nose," a child squirmed as she smacked her own face.

No, the patrons at Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens on Sunday weren't reenacting a scene from Hitchcock's The Birds. They were experiencing the 18th annual Monarch Butterfly Festival, and it was with awe and delight, rather than fear and loathing, that both children and adults bellowed along Lake Katherine's shores.

The festival is an occasion to get outside and enjoy wildlife, said Gareth Blakesley, Lake Katherine's natural resources manager.

"It's about trying to get people involved and not be passive with nature," Blakesley said.

Booths were reserved not just for food vendors and art dealers, but environmental organizations, including University of Illinois Extension. The outreach program, which is headquartered in Urbana-Champaign, provided budding environmentalists with tips for starting compost piles.

In the Heritage Garden, children dug for potatoes, and elsewhere stuffed scarecrows. Near the nature center, Rob Carmichael, curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, showcased his collection of reptiles, including alligators and venomous snakes.

Outside the butterfly tent, the fest's main attraction, Bob Erlich educated children and adults on the life cycle of butterflies, and passed out caterpillar-attracting milk weed seeds for home gardens. A self-described "monarch enthusiast," Erlich works full-time as a jeweler and part-time raising butterflies in Evergreen Park.

"I just kind of fell into it because I needed to expand my garden," Erlich said. "It's a worthwhile hobby."

Erlich spends three to four hours everyday between June 1 and Oct. 1 tending to about 1,000 monarch butterflies, Illinois' official insect. A few of those even made it inside this year's butterfly tent at Lake Katherine. The remaining critters—a combination of gulf fritillary, painted ladies and monarchs—were purchased by USDA-inspected suppliers from Florida, Blakesley said.

"It's a fun way to educate the community, and make them aware of our beautiful grounds," said Bridget Provost, Lake Katherine's business coordinator. "We run into a ton of people [throughout the year] who say, 'I didn't know you guys were here until my kid brought home a flier.'"

The event is not only educational, but acts as an important fundraiser as well. All of the proceeds from the $5 cover fee benefited the nature center's classes, animal care and habitat restoration initiatives. Lake Katherine is only partially funded by the city of Palos Heights, and must sustain itself through donations.

The butterfly festival, which is the largest fundraiser of the year, usually draws 3,000 to 4,000 attendees, Provost said.