Oklahoma City's Skydance Bridge To Light Up For Butterflies

The Skydance Bridge in Oklahoma City will turn yellow and orange on Monday night.

The bridge is lighting up to raise awareness about Monarch butterflies and Pollinator Week.

Katie Hawk with the Nature Conservancy told KOCO that Oklahomans should care about pollinators like butterflies and bees because they're responsible for a third of our food.

“Without our pollinators, we won’t have a lot of our food and beverages, so if we like our food and drinks, we should definitely be investing more in plants for our pollinators,” said Hawk. 

As part of Pollinator Week, the Nature Conservancy and Okies for Monarchs will host a family-friendly Pollinator Night celebration at Scissortail Park on Monday, June 21 from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Guests will receive free wildflower seeds and have a chance to buy milkweed and other pollinator plants, which Hawk says is important for the survival of local butterflies.

“A host plant is what (butterflies) lay their eggs on and their young will be raised on, so when they lay their eggs and become caterpillars, they eat the milkweed leaves. Milkweed does have a light level of toxicity, which is why they utilize it. It makes their baby caterpillars taste really gross to predators such as birds,” said Hawk.

There will also be a guided nature walk and other activities. For more information, got to Okies For Monarchs.