As a butterfly enthusiast for his entire life, Dr. Chris Barnhart remembers collecting caterpillars in a grass-filled Radio Flyer wagon as a young child.

Now a distinguished professor of biology at Missouri State University, Barnhart tells how his hobby turned into an outreach program about a decade ago.

Butterflies defy odds with long-distance migration

He and his wife now run the daily operations of the Roston Butterfly House. This year, they’ve already seen nearly 40,000 visitors. One of the things they come to see – monarch butterflies.

Barnhart invites the public to take part in a tag and release event at the butterfly house at 2 p.m. Sept. 28.

For more information on the event, contact the botanical garden at 417-891-1515 or friendsofthegarden.org.

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