Saturday, August 29, 2009   Western Wake Farmers’ Market — Cary, North Carolina
From 8 am to 12 noon, Butterfly Lady returns in her role as Guest Educator in a three-peat at Western Wake Farmers’ Market. Suzanne Tilton, long-time butterfly expert and breeder, is the Butterfly Lady. Suzanne was so well received on her first appearance at the farmers' market (see notes and photos for June 6, 2009, below) that she was immediately invited to return four more times this year. She made her second appearance at this location on July 18, 2009.

On August 29, she will be teaching and demonstrating these topics:
       • Butterfly Gardening in the Triangle
       • The Life Cycle of a Butterfly
       • Interesting Facts about Butterflies
       • Celebrating with Butterfly Releases
Of course, Suzanne will have a selection of live North-Carolina-native butterflies on display and will be available to answer your butterfly questions. Don’t miss the live butterfly release at 11:30 am.

Western Wake Farmers’ Market is located at Carpenter Village. The address is 1225 Morrisville Carpenter Road in Cary, North Carolina. View map.

(Suzanne’s photo is Copyright © 2009 by Julia Wade. Used with permission. Visit Julia at Julia-Wade.com.)

Saturday, September 26, 2009   Western Wake Farmers’ Market — Cary, North Carolina
Similar program as Saturday, August 29, 2009.

Saturday, October 24, 2009   Western Wake Farmers’ Market — Cary, North Carolina
Similar program as Saturday, August 29, 2009.

Where Butterfly Lady Has Been in 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009   Western Wake Farmers’ Market — Cary, North Carolina
Butterfly Lady, Suzanne Tilton, answered the call to be Guest Educator at Wake County’s newest and nicest community farmers’ market from 8 am to 12 noon. She taught and demonstrated butterfly gardening in North Carolina’s Triangle; the life cycle of butterflies for kids using dress-up costumes, more-than-willing volunteers and photographs; interesting facts about butterflies and celebrating with butterfly releases.

Dozens of kids and grown-ups got to hold monarch caterpillars. During the live butterfly release at 11:30 am, Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) lingered among the crowd and even landed on delighted children. A few began nectaring on wildflowers in a nearby grassy field. Children followed them for 20 minutes and longer, observing their natural behavior in the wild. Some even gave names to “their” butterflies.

The morning was a wonderful success and Suzanne has been invited back four more times this year. So if you missed the fun, mark your calendar now and plan to attend on one or more of the dates shown above.

For a photo essay of today’s fun event at the Western Wake Farmers’ Market shot by local photographers Ben Greene and Zach Tilton, check out the newest addition to Butterfly Lady’s Butterfly Photo Gallery.

(Suzanne’s photo is Copyright © 2009 by Ben Greene. Used with permission.)

Saturday, July 18, 2009   Western Wake Farmers’ Market — Cary, North Carolina
Butterfly Lady, Suzanne Tilton, reprised her role as Guest Educator at Wake County’s spiffiest community farmers’ market from 8 am to 12 noon. The day started off overcast and a bit on the cool side for mid-July in North Carolina’s Triangle. By the time of the live butterfly release at 11:30, the sun had come out, the temperature had risen and a refreshing breeze had kicked up to help the winged creatures take flight.

In the release box today was an assortment of North Carolina natives, Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) butterflies, among others. Most of the menagerie immediately flew skyward as soon as they discovered their freedom and disappeared into the heavens. A couple of Painted Ladies lingered, though, and even landed briefly on children in the crowd, eliciting squeals of delight.

Shortly before the release, Suzanne mentioned the belief that “if a butterfly lands on you, you will have good luck the rest of the day.” When butterflies touched down on some before flitting away, a child was heard to implore, “Butterfly Lady, make him land on me!”

The day was rich with butterfly experiences for youngsters and grown-ups alike. Multitudes were tickled by Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feet as they gently held the always-hungry wigglers in their palms or allowed them to crawl up their arms. Many marveled at tiny Cabbage White eggs recently laid on a leaf of Collards (Brassica oleracea).

A lucky few were at the booth about 10 am to witness a Monarch caterpillar, that had been hanging in the “J” position overnight, shed its last skin and morph almost instantly into a beautifully-proportioned emerald jewel, an electric-green chrysalis accented with a visor of shining gold. Later that morning, a visitor was so taken aback by its beauty that she asked what Butterfly Lady had used to paint gold dots on the chrysalis. Of course, she was flabbergasted when tolded that she was gazing upon a natural wonder of the butterfly universe, not a bauble created by the hand of man (or the hand of Butterfly Lady, for that matter).

If you haven’t seen Butterfly Lady in action yet, make plans now to attend her next Guest Educator appearance at this delightful venue on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

(Suzanne’s photo with child is Copyright © 2009 by Zach Tilton. Used with permission.)

Thursday, August 6, 2009   Elon Community Church Farmers’ Market — Elon, North Carolina
Twice each year, the Elon Community Church Farmers’ Market celebrates Kids' Vending Day and invites children to sell lemonade and cookies, handmade crafts and delicious produce grown in backyard gardens. This afternoon was one of those special events celebrating kids and free enterprise.

Butterfly Lady was honored to participate in today’s festivities at the request of farmers' market founders Sandra Sarlinga and Fabian Lujan. This charismatic couple, who immigrated to North Carolina's Triad from Argentina nine years ago, operate The Farm Fairy at Elon. They are known for exquisite honeys, elegantly fragrant handmade soaps, and authentic Argentinean chimichurri steak sauce mixes. They first met Suzanne Tilton this spring at the Western Wake Farmers' Market in Cary, North Carolina, where she has appeared twice so far as Guest Educator—most recently on July 18, 2009.

As at other venues, children of all ages in Elon were mesmerized by live butterflies (above right) and caterpillars at Butterfly Lady’s booth. Suzanne believes in hands-on demonstrations so, of course, dozens of kids were shown how to gently hold Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillars (right), and Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) larvae (above left) which were happily feasting on sprigs of Curley Parsley (Petroselinum crispum sp.).

Some purchased Monarch chrysalises to take home so they could enjoy their natural beauty and observe the butterfly’s transformation from pupa to adult. This chrysalis (right) was glued inside the top of a transparent plastic food container using a low-heat glue gun, available at any craft store. Butterfly Lady has removed the lid from its container, which protects the pupa from accidental bumps and rough handling, to show off its green and gold colors. About ten days after the caterpillar pupates by changing into a chrysalis, it will have completely reorganized itself into a fully-developed butterfly. It will then emerge (eclose is the scientific term) leaving the thin, lifeless shell of its chrysalis blowing in the wind.

The life cycle of a butterfly is an amazing story filled with science, wonderment and mystery. Growing from a tiny egg (see cream-colored Monarch eggs at  right on leaves of Tropical Milkweed [Asclepias curassavica]) into a caterpillar, then chrysalis and finally into a fully-developed, flying adult in the space of about a month, leaves one bewildered to contemplate its complex and esoteric progression. In the opinion of Butterfly Lady and millions of other butterfly fans around the world, the process is one of nature’s greatest treasures.

Join Suzanne in her next appearance as Guest Educator at the Western Wake Farmer’s Market in Cary on Saturday, August 29, 2009.

Elon Community Church Farmers’ Market is located at 271 North Williamson Avenue in Elon, North Carolina. Market day is Thursdays from 3 to 6:30 pm during season. View map.

(Photos in this Calendar entry are Copyright © 2009 by Karen Hartshorn. Used with permission.)