March SAPS Program: “Butterflies of Tennessee”

Speaker: Rita Venable

Location: Kingsport Renaissance Center

Date and Time: Thursday March 20  7 p.m.

Program Description:  Rita will showcase the 124 species of butterflies that occur in Tennessee. Learn to identify butterflies by family, and discuss butterfly conservation. The life cycle and body structure of the butterfly will be covered.

Rita Venable is a writer, photographer, and speaker whose much-loved subject is nature, especially butterflies. She is the author of a new book: “Butterflies of Tennessee” (to be published in 2014). She has a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and has completed coursework at Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro in both Entomology and Magazine Writing and Editing. Rita has published numerous articles and photographs in literary publications, newspapers, and magazines. She was an artist-in-residence in creative writing with the Tennessee Arts Commission for five years. She was an assistant biologist with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation conducting biological surveys in state parks and natural areas with the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory program. She developed butterfly checklists for individual parks, led field trips, conducted training sessions for seasonal naturalists, and spoke at wildflower festivals and other state park events. She is the former editor of Butterfly Gardener, a publication of the North American Butterfly Association and founded the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association in 1999. She most enjoys connecting people with the butterflies that live around them. Rita currently lives in Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, Phil. They have two grown children.

See Slideshow from February’s Program by R. Allen Straw Better Vegetable Varieties for Northeast TN/SW Virginia Gardeners

Other Learning  Opportunities

Garden and Things  March 28