Prescott Valley marks Earth Week with children’s 'Read and Rec' pollinator program

Prescott Valley hosted a Read and Rec event during Earth Week 2025 at the Discovery Garden where children participated in story time and hands-on activities focused on pollinators, a program presenter said. The session included songs, dances and crafts and ended with the release of about 20 painted lady butterflies that staff had reared from caterpillars over three to four weeks.

The program presenter said, "We're doing a little read and rec as part of Earth Week 2025. We're kicking it off by doing a story time where children learn about pollinators, including butterflies and bees." The presenter described activities designed for young children, noting options for movement and crafts to match different attention levels.

Children planted seeds in mini terracotta pots using a specialized pollinator soil mix and took the pots home to start small pollinator gardens, the presenter said. Staff timed the butterfly release for Read and Rec Day so participants could watch the insects take flight. "When they're able to see the butterflies being released, it creates a much more personal connection to the butterflies and to the message we're trying to spread, which is conservation and preservation," the presenter said.

Organizers emphasized the program's educational goals. The presenter said the story selections focused on pollinators and included age-appropriate explanations of metamorphosis, from larva to butterfly. The program aimed to encourage children and families to create pollinator-friendly plantings in town, including native blooms and garden patches that support bees and butterflies.

The event combined an indoor story component with outdoor activities in the Discovery Garden and concluded with each child leaving with a planted pot and a firsthand experience of a butterfly release. Funding sources, attendance numbers and whether the program is recurring were not specified in the meeting transcript.