Butterflies set for release in Vail

VAIL — Thousands of Painted Ladies will take flight Thursday at America’s highest botanical garden.

More than 400 Eagle County third-graders are expected to participate in the annual Butterfly Launch at noon at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, in Vail’s Ford Park. The event is sponsored by the Hernreich Family Foundation.

“The Butterfly Launch is one of the most festive celebrations we offer at the Gardens.

It is great fun for the children to witness Mother Nature work her wonders in transforming a caterpillar into a butterfly,” says Ann Kurronen, the Gardens’ executive director. “This is a joyous event and a wonderful learning opportunity for our local third-graders.”

The students, from both public and private schools throughout Eagle County, were supplied this spring with kits including a viewing net, two caterpillars and food. Over the course of about a month, they’ve raised the caterpillars, watching as each pupated and turned into a Painted Lady Butterfly ready to take flight.

The students gather at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens at 11:30 Thursday for lunch, then release the butterflies together. And it’s all set to music by renowned local musician Helmut Fricker performing his popular Austrian alpenhorn and squeezebox act. For more information, call (970) 476-0103 or visit www.bettyfordalpinegardens.org.