Please Sign & Share

Our director, Marianna, returned to Washington, DC, two weeks ago to educate Congressional staffers about what is at stake, here, ahead of the 2020 budget battle, but we need YOUR HELP to do more!

PLEASE, regardless of where you live, SIGN ON to this statement opposing the 95-mile border wall project that will cut off access to the Rio Grande, cause devastating flooding and property destruction, and cut out the heart of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Although Customs and Border Protection refuses to listen to communities, we can use the comment period to send a strong message to Congress asking them for oversight and to rescind the funds for these walls that pose a direct threat to life and property. 

As the Supreme Court recently lifted the injunction against Trump’s use of “state of emergency” dollars NOT appropriated by Congress for border walls, our Senators and Representatives may be ready to listen! 

Comment deadline August 27, 2019.

Defenders of Wildlife Honors Our Director, Marianna Treviño Wright

The North American Butterfly Association is fortunate to have many world-class partners in the fight to conserve precious ecosystems and species. Among them, Defenders of Wildlife has been particularly valuable in helping us navigate policy and advocacy issues on Capitol Hill, shepherding our director Marianna Trevino Wright from office to office, so that our concerns—and yours—might be heard by those empowered to do something positive for the planet.

Imagine our surprise when Defenders announced their intention to recognize Marianna at their annual Wildlife Conservation Awards Dinner. This very special event celebrates and honors individuals with a lasting and exceptional commitment to wildlife conservation. 

This year’s honorees include U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) who is receiving the Legacy Award for his many years as a wildlife champion on Capitol Hill; Joel Clement, a former official at the U.S. Department of the Interior who made headlines in 2017 for blowing the whistle on the Trump administration’s disregard of climate change science; Marianna Treviño Wright, Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center, for her advocacy on behalf of wildlife in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and along our southern border; and Hilary Zaranek-Anderson, a rancher who has pioneered techniques to allow wildlife and livestock to coexist. 

If you live in or near the Washington, DC area, please consider attending. The evening includes inspiring remarks by our honorees and a locally sourced, vegetarian dinner and TV personality Jeff Corwin will be the emcee for the night.

The event takes place Thursday, September 26, 2019, at 6 PM, at The Mayflower Hotel.

Please contact Amy Moore with any questions by email at amoore@defenders.org or by phone at (202) 772-0209.

UPDATE: Texas Butterfly Festival

If you haven’t registered for the 24th Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, time is running out!  Actually, three trips are sold out, and the host hotel is releasing any rooms in our block that are not spoken for on Friday, August 30.  We’ve blocked additional rooms at the Holiday Inn Express in Mission, in case you need more time to finalize arrangements. Just make sure to check the Texas Butterfly Festival website for updates and information as the event approaches.

Two Years In…

We encourage you to keep abreast of developments, including our legal appeal, which is moving forward, as the battle is not over! 

Save the Date

Are you interested in gardening for a greener world? If so, plan to attend the inaugural Wild Gardening Festival at the National Butterfly Center, April 18 – 21, 2020.  This 4-day festival is fit for gardeners at every experience level interested in learning more about how they can make the planet a better place just by getting their hands dirty. Our mission is increasing healthy habitat for butterflies, birds, bees and other wildlife one garden at a time, because we’re #GoodHabitatForming!