Friends of Laurelwood Arboretum (FOLA) will host a family program led by Rick Mikula, known as “The Butterfly Guy.” The program will begin on Saturday, August 15 at 4 pm in the new Knippenberg Center for Education at Laurelwood Arboretum, 725 Pines Lake Drive West in Wayne. The cost is $15 per person, but the program is free for FOLA members and children accompanied by an adult. Non-members can join on the day of the event.

“Rick Mikula has been breeding and sharing his love of butterflies for over 35 years,” said Bonnie Joachim, FOLA’s program chairperson. “Both children and adults will enjoy his humorous and informative walk through the Sensory Garden and beyond in the arboretum.”

Mikula is President of Butterfly Rescue International and serves as consultant to the Association for Butterflies and the International Butterfly Breeders Association. He is the author of several book on butterflies including the award-winning, The Family Butterfly Book, The Butterfly Fandex and Garden Butterflies of North America. In addition, he has appeared on many TV shows including Animal Planet, The Discovery Channel.

The butterfly program is one of a series of educational programs and activities sponsored by FOLA. Coming up on October 20 at 4 p.m. is a free Native Plant tour led by FOLA’s plant identification committee.