Community conservation program caps off a successful 2025 season with Monarch Day celebration Sept. 13
John Ball Zoo invites guests to celebrate monarch butterflies during the last Wildlife Exploration Day of the season, Monarch Day, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. Admission is free for members, and admission to Monarch Day is free with general admission tickets. Tickets are available online.
Visitors can immerse themselves in the world of butterflies alongside their favorite storybook characters such as Tinker Bell, Mirabel, Iridessa, Anna and Elsa. Guests will also learn practical and easy ways to support monarch conservation in their own backyards.
“Monarch Day is a great opportunity for guests to learn more about protecting one of our most iconic species,” said Travis Kurtz, community science coordinator at John Ball Zoo. “We encourage our community to come celebrate Monarch Day with us and take steps toward helping conserve this species in their own yards and gardens.”
As monarch butterflies begin their annual journey south, John Ball Zoo’s Habitat Hero Program continues to play a vital part in furthering the Zoo’s mission of saving wildlife and wild places.
Since the Habitat Hero program started in 2022, it has distributed more than 5,900 native plants across West Michigan to support local pollinator populations. Habit Hero program leaders will be on hand to share their work and help guests learn how they can help monarchs in their own backyards.
