The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly, which is native to Pittsburgh, disappeared from most of WPA with the advent of industrialization. HPGC Social Media Guru, Laura Bartoletti and her friend, Gabrielle Marsden have been working on a project, Pittsburgh Pawpaw Pathways for Zebra Swallowtail Trails (PPPZST) to restore Pawpaws to various waterways in SWPA, creating wildlife corridors and restoring riparian buffer understory trees.

Laura and Gabrielle met through a connection with the Wild Ones Western Pennsylvania Chapter and both have backgrounds in archaeology. Gabrielle does Pawpaw tastings through Grow Pittsburgh at Garden Dreams in September, and walks and presentations through other organizations. More information about Gabrielle, including contact information and a call to action can be found at BUTTERFLY412.com.

This is an exclusively outdoor event, with limited seating. Weather-appropriate shoes and clothing are recommended. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours. Please check your registration confirmation for the address, important directions, and parking information. If the weather is bad, there will be a Zoom presentation instead of a tour. The link will be emailed to all who have registered.

The program is free to HPGC members. Children ages 8 to 15 are welcome for free, although each child between the ages of 8 and 15 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult. Non-members ages 16 and above are welcome to attend for a donation, made through Eventbrite by clicking here.

Please RSVP by Monday, September 11, 2023 by replying to this email.