Deane Dane Friendship Park in San Pedro new home to endangered Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly
Deane Dane Friendship Park in San Pedro new home to endangered Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly
The release of 80 endangered adult Palos Verdes Blue Butterflies into their native habitat at Deane Dana Friendship Park in San Pedro this past weekend was a success in the continuing environmental efforts to revive the Blue Butterfly population. Listening to Dr. Jana Johnson speak about the Blue Butterfly captive breeding program at Moorpark College and the immense care required by the process and provided by her students reminded us of the fragility of these beautiful creatures and reignited our own love affair with butterflies. Lucky for us, spring is right around the corner, and everywhere we look, opportunities exist to learn about, see and experience the wonder of these winged beauties.
If you have a chance, head out to Dean Dane Friendship Park. You just might spot the thumbnail sized blue butterfly making a home for itself. Federally designated endangered in 1980, the Butterfly Project has helped the Blue Butterfly population grow from only 200 to 10,000 in just three years. Now eight acres at Deane Dana Park will help provide a lush, natural habitat for these butterflies that exist uniquely in the Palos Verdes peninsula. But if you spot these blue beauties remember: look but don’t touch, because the goal is for these butterflies to breed and survive on their own.
While you are at Deane Dana Friendship Park, wander the grounds and enjoy panoramic views of the L.A. and Long Beach harbors all the way to Catalina Island. Take the trails along the coastal sage scrub habitat, your best bet where to spot a Blue Butterfly. Check out the 4,000 square foot nature center with its natural history museum and some live animal displays. Check their schedule for regular family programming. The grounds offer picnic areas and a playground.
Deane Dana Friendship Park
1805 W. 9th Street, San Pedro, 90732; (310) 519-6115
Hours: Park hours 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. every day; Nature Center hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays – Sundays
Ages: All
Cost: FREE
[...] release of 80 endangered adult Palos Verdes Blue Butterflies into their native habitat at Deane Dana Friendship Park in San Pedro this past weekend was a success in the continuing environmental efforts to revive the [...]