NEWS RELEASE
BUTTERFLY PAVILION
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Butterfly Pavilion (BP) and Denver Premium Outlets (DPO) have joined forces to create an exciting partnership focused on educating the community about the importance of pollinators and their habitats. This innovative collaboration offers a unique educational platform through pollinator habitat gardens, a captivating pollinator mural, and summer educational sessions. As a leader in pollinator conservation, BP strives to involve and inspire everyone in supporting pollinators, both locally and globally.
"Our partnership with Denver Premium Outlets amplifies pollinator education and awareness at a popular shopping destination," stated Shartrina White, BP's senior director of Education. "This collaboration showcases how any organization can contribute to pollinator conservation and reach new audiences, emphasizing the crucial message that these small creatures deserve and require our support."
Pollinators like bees and butterflies are vital for food production and native plant reproduction, but they face threats from habitat loss, pollution, parasites, and diseases. Creating flower-rich landscapes and gardens helps boost biodiversity, climate resilience, and pollinator health. While raising awareness through education empowers individuals to protect and support pollinators.
As a 100% LEED certified facility, DPO is committed to minimizing its environmental impact and promoting sustainable practices. This initiative with BP promises to offer a unique experience for visitors, providing a gateway to learn about the vital role pollinators play in our ecosystem and the significance of sustainable practices.
"We're proud to partner with Butterfly Pavilion to extend their scientific expertise to Denver Premium Outlets through art, education, and gardens," said Scott Tenbarge, general manager of Denver Premium Outlets. "Together, we can empower our community to positively impact pollinator protection and conservation, while promoting greater biodiversity.
The initiative involves a multi-faceted approach:
Summer Pollinator Program
A new Summer Pollinator Program for K-5th grade students is set to launch on June 5 and run through Aug. 28, 2023, marking the beginning of its inaugural season. This exciting program aims to educate and engage young learners in the fascinating world of pollinators, highlighting their crucial role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem and empowering students to contribute to their conservation efforts.
The program will consist of engaging and interactive lessons, with expert educators from BP leading 45-minute to one-hour sessions. These educators have extensive knowledge and experience in the field of pollinators and are passionate about sharing their expertise with young minds.
In the program, students explore pollination, discovering connections between pollinators and plants. They learn how pollinators enable reproduction and foster biodiversity, developing an appreciation for their remarkable adaptations and behaviors.
Pollinator Habitat Gardens
BP has designed three pollinator gardens for DPO with a design featuring a selection of grasses and perennials that provide pollinators with a habitat that showcases bright colors and blooms from spring to fall. Most, but not all are native to Colorado, and thrive under local conditions. The garden will also have an educational aspect and be safe for families and children. With the new pollinator gardens around the park area, families as well as pollinators will get to enjoy the new flowers, while these important invertebrates have a new area to call home.
Pollinator Mural
A 20 x 23-foot pollinator themed mural will be installed by Kerry Cesen, a local artist with over 15 years of experience creating nature and science inspired artwork that serves as a tool for educating and informing, at their Play Park. This will be the first pollinator mural to have been certified for scientific accuracy by experts at BP and many of the animals featured may be seen visiting the pollinator gardens.
About Butterfly Pavilion
Butterfly Pavilion has been part of the Colorado community since 1995 and is the first Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)-accredited, stand-alone, non-profit invertebrate zoo in the world, currently occupying a 34,000-square foot facility situated on an 11-acre campus provided by the City of Westminster, Colorado. Beyond Colorado and the United States, Butterfly Pavilion conservationists are doing important invertebrate conservation projects around the world from Mongolia and Saudi Arabia to Tanzania and Sumatra, Indonesia. Learn more at www.butterflies.org
About Denver Premium Outlets
Denver Premium Outlets is the area's premier outlet shopping destination featuring a diverse mix of popular designer and lifestyle brands including kate spade new york, Tory Burch, Cole Haan, Michael Kors, Polo Ralph Lauren, American Eagle Outfitters, Tumi and Under Armour. Denver Premium Outlets offers shoppers a dynamic mix of merchandise the whole family will love, including fashion apparel and accessories; athletic, outdoor and fitness footwear and apparel; and much more – all at impressive savings of up to 65% every day. Shoppers will have access to a variety of amenities including Denver Premium Outlets’ VIP Shopper Club, where guests can receive extra deals and exclusive offers.
Denver Premium Outlets’ architects were inspired by the scenery of the magnificent Rocky Mountains and have incorporated a number of design elements unique to the Colorado landscape. At the center, shoppers will find a Coloradan outdoor experience that strikes a balance between the organic and the man-made – complete with heavy timber and steel architecture that uses robust geometries, materials and open transparency to frame the natural setting around it. https://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlet/denver
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