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Special programs at the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort will celebrate the beginning of the monarch butterfly’s annual migration south. Participants can learn more about these valuable pollinators and receive expertise and advice on gardening for Kentucky’s native pollinators on Saturday, Sept. 7 at the Salato Center.
The event will feature activities suitable for individuals of all ages, including butterfly crafts, face painting, a monarch tagging demonstration and waystation tours, and a nectar plant and milkweed sale (while quantities last). Butterfly costumes are welcome.
Salato Center staff also will unveil a new Monarch Waystation at the event. This waystation will be dedicated to the late Mary Carol Cooper, who served as director of Salato’s Native Plant Program from 1992 to 2012.
Activities and demonstrations will run from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) and are free with paid admission into the center. The center features native wildlife in naturalized enclosures, conservation exhibits and paved walking trails through a variety of habitats.
For a detailed list of activities and times, contact the Salato Center at (502) 892-4460.
The center is located off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of the U.S. 127 intersection. Look for the bronze deer statue at the entrance of the main Kentucky Fish and Wildlife campus.
Except for select events, hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Salato is closed on Sunday, Monday and state holidays.
Except for select events, admission is $5 for adults and $3 for youth 5 to 18. Children four and under are admitted free. The center also offers annual memberships for individuals and families.
Photo: Kevin Kelly/Kentucky Department of Fish And Wildlife
The Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort will close for the winter at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22.
Seasonal closures allow the center’s staff to conduct needed maintenance to exhibits and facilities, which ensure a quality experience for the center’s 50,000 yearly visitors. Staff members also use the time to train the wildlife used in the center’s educational programs.
The center offers a number of wildlife and conservation programs, many of which employ the use of live animals including snakes, turtles, raptors, and mammals.
“Our staff is going to focus on training our two newest program animals during the winter closure,” said Salato manager Brent McCarty. “We’re excited to have two new animals that will help us make connections with our visitors. Our goal is to unveil these animals to the public in the spring of 2018.”
Fans of the center can view see what’s going on behind the scenes during the winter closure on the Salato Facebook page or on the Salato Twitter page. The Salato Wildlife Education Center reopens for the season March 1, 2018.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources operates the Salato Center to educate and inform the public about wildlife and conservation. The center is located off U.S. 60 in Frankfort, approximately 1½ miles west of the U.S. 127 intersection. A bronze deer statue marks the entrance of the main Kentucky Fish and Wildlife campus.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Salato is closed on Sunday, Monday and state holidays.
Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for youth 5 to 18. Children under 5 are admitted free. The center also offers annual memberships for individuals and families.
