Join a virtual presentation by butterfly educator Betina Loudermilk who will discuss the factors that spurred West Coast monarch butterflies’ miraculous population recovery in 2022 from near-extinction in prior years. She will also discuss her own 7-year effort to create a [butterfly-friendly habitat](https://www.betinaslittlefarm.com/) and offer information and tips for attendees who want to do the same. This event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday June 8th at 7:00 pm, hosted by the Conejo Open Space Foundation. COSF will send instructions on how to join the Zoom webinar to people who sign up (how to do this is described below) the day before the event. The number of attendees is limited so we recommend you sign up immediately!
Her talk, entitled “The Monarch Miracle,” will focus on environmental circumstances such as habitat loss and climate change that caused the butterfly population crash and what influences—human and otherwise—may have contributed to its resurgence.
Betina is the proprietor of Betina’s Little Farm, site of her butterfly garden, where she conducts workshops and events for families. She taught equestrian skills for a decade at Pierce College and has also served as a naturalist at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. “My goal is to inspire people to create connectivity through their backyards for our local bugs and butterflies,” she says. “I want to get people interested in butterfly gardening so they can help out too.”
Held quarterly since 2019, the [COSF Speaker Series](https://cosf.org/events/open-space-speaker-series/) has included climate authority Dr. Sean Anderson as well as wildlife experts Dr. Dan Cooper, Dr. Seth Riley, Dr. Jessica Sanchez, and the National Wildlife Federation’s regional executive director Beth Pratt.
To sign up for this event, go to
[https://cosf.org/events/meetup/](https://cosf.org/events/meetup/)
and fill in the form. While this is a free event, COSF suggests a donation of $10. Your support for future Speaker Series presentations and COSF’s other activities would be greatly appreciated.
