Fort Bend County Master Gardeners are planning opportunities for young people to learn about nature and science at their annual Butterfly Celebration on May 2. The family outing will offer hands-on experiences for youngsters - creating garden crafts, participating in a scavenger hunt and getting their hands and faces painted - as well as informational presentations about butterflies and other pollinators, visits with beekeepers and pass along plants and free seed packets. A group of Master Gardeners met on April 1 to stamp seed packets for the celebration under the guidance of Catherine Pennington and Samiha Qureshi. Volunteers used stamps of pollinators and flowers on the back of envelopes that will contain seeds of pollinator plants. Organizers are planning to give away 400 seed packets at the annual celebration, which will be in FBMG Demonstration Gardens, 1402 Band Road in Rosenberg. Festivities will begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon.

The packets will contain seeds that have been collected in the gardens of Master Gardeners. Each family will get a packet of zinnia seeds and then be able to select 1 or 2 packets of their choice More than 400 people attended last year's Butterfly Celebration, which was chaired by Pennington and Mary Parkhouse. The last Butterfly Celebration had been held in 2019 and was canceled the following year because of COVID-19. This year's co-chairs are Shelly Beck and Sue Yoder. Just for fun, there will be bubble magic and Monarch Ambassadors will carry 5-foot kites or wear Monarch butterfly costume. A team of Master Gardeners started growing milkweed plants from seed in February. Because milkweeds are the only host plant for Monarchs and Queen Butterflies, this year the team has decided to give away one milkweed plant to each family for free. More starter milkweeds will be available for sale at the Celebration.