Butterflies are blue—and free

A batch of tiny blue butterflies will fly out of captivity Saturday morning and into restored habitat at the Deane Dana Friendship Regional Park Community Center in San Pedro. The endangered Palos Verdes blue butterflies, bright blue thumbnail sized insects, will be released into their traditional habitat, coastal sage scrub, restored at the park by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.

The Palos Verdes blue became an endangered species in 1980 after its population crashed due to the loss of habitat as communities on the Palos Verdes peninsula grew. Soon after, biologists believed it had become entirely extinct. But then the butterfly was found again in 1994 – living on land at the military’s Defense Fuel Support Point San Pedro. The butterflies to be released Saturday were captive reared at the support point and at The Urban Wildlands Group and America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College. For more information, click here.

Posted 3/4/10