Episode 74: Butterflies

This week's episode begins by discussing how Florida's lack of a clean energy plan is costing the state federal infrastructure dollars.Our guest is Dr. Jaret Daniels who leads the lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) research efforts at the University of Florida. Daniels' team can be found working at the world's most prestigious lepidoptera research facility in the world, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity inside the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus in Gainesville. The McGuire Center houses 12 million butterfly and moth specimens from around the world.  We discuss collapsing monarch populations, butterfly rescue efforts in Florida, and what you can do to help sustain butterfly numbers in state.Helpful links to learn more:Florida Native Plant Society.Xerces Society, the world's foremost conservation group working to save butterfly and pollinator populations.Why you should NOT use tropical milkweed to attract monarchs to your landscape.Discover the power of backyard pollinator habitats using native plants and their potential to protect biodiversity.This week's episode is sponsored by VisitSarasota.com. Here is a link to the best places to find butterflies across Sarasota County.If this topic interests you, listen back to Episode 41 where we spoke to Florida author Jeff VanderMeer who's rewilding his Tallahassee yard and offers suggestions for how you can do the same.