ECIMN Presents: Urban Butterfly Initiative

The Master Naturalist program aims to provide science-based educational opportunities that connect people with nature and help them become engaged environmental stewards. However, getting people to notice, understand, and value nature can be challenging in today’s increasingly urban and technological world. Join Dr. Paul Switzer as he explains the genesis and activities of the Urban Butterfly Initiative, a community service nonprofit that uses butterflies as the hook for broader conservation, environmental education, and community-building goals across central Illinois.

 

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Dr. Paul Switzer received his Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis. He is currently a Professor of Biology at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois, where he teaches courses in organismal biology, diversity, and animal behavior. He has published over 60 research and teaching articles. He started the Grand Prairie Butterfly Club in 2003, and in 2018, he founded the Urban Butterfly Initiative, a 501(c)(3) non-profit for which he currently serves as Director.  This initiative works with public and private partners who seek to increase the biodiversity, beauty, and scientific awareness in their communities.