Name: Creating a Backyard Butterfly Oasis CLASS
Start: 2026-06-07T13:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-06-07T15:00:00-04:00
Location: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Creating a Backyard Butterfly Oasis CLASS

CREATING A BACKYARD BUTTERFLY OASIS
If you’re looking to build a beautiful and functional butterfly habitat in your own backyard, this class will provide all the necessary tools to get you started. We will cover how to support butterflies in all life stages, with a focus on how to attract them with plants. To support the adult butterfly feeding on nectar plants, each participant will receive a packet of native nectar flower seeds, collected directly from Clara’s garden. To support the adults basking in the sun and puddling (drinking water to get important minerals and salts), we will create a colorful ceramic bowl puddling station with stones that are perfect for perching and taking a sip. Finally, to support the eggs and caterpillars, each participant will take home 1 native butterfly host plant- like milkweed, for example, that hosts monarch caterpillars, or golden alexander that hosts black swallowtails. Soon you could be watching caterpillars become butterflies in your own yard- and supporting the local ecosystem!
Fees: Member $60, Non-Member $75
All programs are subject to change. Pre-registration through our website is required.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden strives to be a Garden for all and we are committed to offering diverse adult learning opportunities that are inclusive and accessible to all learners. If you would like to request an accommodation to support your participation in an adult learning opportunity at the Garden, please contact [email protected] or call 804-262-9887 x328 and we will make our best effort to help.

Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
Clara Aus is an insect expert and nature educator based in Richmond, VA. She is the Butterfly Exhibit Manager for Butterflies Bloom. She also teaches courses for adults at the Garden, with topics ranging from pollinator gardening, to medicinal plants, to butterfly pinning and display. Specializing in butterflies and moths, Clara combines her scientific knowledge and access to primary peer-reviewed research studies with easy to understand lessons and activities to inspire a deeper understanding of nature. Her goal is to help others observe and connect with nature so we can all do a better job of restoring and supporting the living world around us.