Butterflies are loved and enjoyed by nearly everyone. In addition to being beautiful, they are symbols of rebirth and transformation and a harbinger species for conservation. But sadly, over the last 40 years butterfly populations have declined at a rate of two percent per year. The monarch, in particular, has been added to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of endangered species.
There are more than 150 species of butterflies in Arkansas, many of which are common to the Ouachita Mountains and surrounding area. With a little effort we can protect them and encourage them to inhabit our own backyards.
Audubon member Sharon Prislipsky will cover the reasons for declining butterfly populations, as well as what we as individuals can do to help. Host plants, migration patterns, and life cycles of monarchs and Diana fritillaries will be explained. Examples of butterflies from each of the six families present in our area will be presented.
Sharon will also discuss her efforts to establish pollinator garden areas in her small yard and will show which plants have been the most successful in attracting butterflies.
on Feb. 8 at 10 a.m.
CORONADO CENTER AUDITORIUM
THE SPEAKER
Sharon Prislipsky is a retired school administrator who has had a life-long interest in art and photography. She began to pursue her passion full time nearly twenty years ago, and has found not only a means of artistic expression, but a true appreciation for the craft involved. Her goal is to present to the viewer the scene or the subject as she experiences it and to share her unique vision.
Sharon and her husband, Vic, live in Hot Springs Village, AR. They have traveled extensively throughout the United States, photographing both iconic locations and subject matter found along less traveled back roads. Favorite subjects for Sharon include landscapes, nature, architecture and images that evoke the past. She relies not only on technical skills but the feeling and emotion she wants to communicate.
Sharon serves as secretary of the Photographic Society of America and of the Photographic Alliance of America. She earned her PPSA distinction in 2019 and EPSA distinction in 2022. In 2019 she was also elected Associate PSA (APSA) in recognition of service to the Society.
Sharon is active in several local camera clubs. Her digital and print images have won numerous awards in international exhibitions.