4th Annual Topanga

BY ALISA LAND HILL

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun And find your shoulder to light on, To bring you luck & happiness

Today, tomorrow and beyond.”

—Irish blessing

fter months of historic rain, Topanga celebrates a vibrant spring with rolling verdant hills ablaze with glorious wildflowers, a fitting stage for the Fourth Annual Topanga Butterfly Day event on Sunday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the historic Mountain Mermaid, a butterfly oasis with a rich history.

Butterfly Day continues to grow as an event celebrating the beauty and importance of pollinators to our natural world. Most importantly, this is an exciting opportunity to connect, learn, and engage in supporting butterflies, bees, birds and other vital pollinators.

From its modest start in 2018, Butterfly Day has become a communitywide celebration, a day-long event featuring regional environmental partners, live music, food and drink, and the ever-popular live butterfly house and beehive. Booths cluster around the swimming pool with pollinator-themed tiles by Topanga Art Tile, jewelry, and clothing for sale, face painting and activities for children.

In this time of climate change, it is critical that we come together as communities to steward the creatures that sustain and enrich the environment and our lives. Pollinators enable the growth of much of our food supply and their native habitat plants stabilize our hillsides, cleanse our water, and even purify the air we breathe. The impact, beauty, and diversity of pollinators—butterflies and bees, yes, but also moths, wasps, hummingbirds, bats and even lizards—continue to amaze children and adults alike as we learn more about the critical roles they play.