Bengaluru’s annual butterfly and bee festival opened on December 6, and will continue till December 10.
Organised by the Karnataka Forest Department (research wing), National Centre For Biological Sciences, Bengaluru Butterfly Club, Jungle Lodges and Resorts, and Indian Foundation for Butterflies, it aims to create awareness about the role of the insects in the ecosystem.
B N N Murthy, conservator of forests, Bengaluru, says the last two years’ editions have witnessed a drop in attendance because of the pandemic.
“About 70% of all pollination happens through butterflies and bees, and if they don’t do their job, we won’t be able to eat fruits and enjoy looking at flowers,” he says.
This year’s edition includes open webinars at 7 pm every day. On December 8, PhD scholar Nitin Ravikanthachari speaks about ‘Butterfly biology for citizen scientists’. A panel discussion on ‘Setting up a butterfly habitat’ is slated for December 9.
The festival concludes with an offline event on December 10, at the Doresanipalya Forest Station, near JP Nagar.
To join webinars on Zoom, use meeting id: 393 121 5718 and Passcode: SBirdwing1.