McCloud to host butterfly program

NORTH SALEM -- As the cool weather approaches this fall, monarch butterflies will begin their annual migration, flying up to 2,000 miles south to spend the winter months in the same forests their ancestors left last spring.

Visitors can learn about the monarch's amazing migration patterns, life cycle and host plant at a 2 p.m. presentation in the Nature Center on Saturday, Sept. 14.

Park visitors can join naturalists for a guided hike following the presentation, identifying monarch habitat in the prairie. Discover why the monarch's numbers have been dwindling, and learn what efforts are now underway to protect the monarch and its habitat.

This free program is designed for all ages and will last approximately two hours.

After the program, visitors can enjoy a picnic or hike the wooded trails at McCloud Nature Park.

McCloud Nature Park is operated by Hendricks County Parks and Recreation and is located five minutes south of North Salem at 8518 N. Hughes Rd. The park is open from dawn to dusk daily.

The Nature Center's hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m.

For more information on McCloud Nature Park and park programs, persons may call the Hendricks County Parks and Recreation main office at 317-718-6188 or visit the website at www.hendrickscountyparks.org.