Master Gardener Phyllis Goodwin has been a master gardener for six years. In that capacity she helps provide food for the monarch butterflies at the Crosby Arboretum while raising her own monarch butterflies and black swallowtail butterflies at home.

Friday, Goodwin was manning the Pollinator Garden at the Crosby Arboretum as part of this weekend’s Bug Fest.  The Pollinator Garden is host to dozens of pollinator plants that feed butterflies and act as food for caterpillars. Since Bug Fest continues on Saturday, visitors can experience the multiple species of butterflies and caterpillars at the Crosby Arboretum.

“What I’m trying to do is educate the children on the different caterpillars and butterflies that you don’t want to touch and the ones that are safe to touch,” said Goodwin.

“I try to make people aware that these are good guys, too many people are not aware of what they are. They automatically spray and kill them, and they don’t know that they are killing a butterfly,” said Goodwin.

Goodwin will be educating visitors of Bug Fest about the difference between various local butterflies and caterpillars so that destruction of those species will be minimized. During her presentations she’ll show the different plants each species eats and the proper way to take care of them.

Attendees can also learn about honey bees and how honey ages from Buddy Broadway during the event.

Bug Fest will be continue on Saturday. Sept 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.