The National Butterfly Center is bringing back its annual Texas Butterfly Festival this weekend and participants will get a chance to visit butterfly hot spots across the Valley.

The center wants everyone to understand how butterflies play a part in food and the environment, which is why they are having a free community day on Saturday, November 4 to kick off the 27th annual Texas Butterfly Festival.

The center's Director of Operations Stephanie Lopez says butterflies are pollinators, just like bees. They are crucial for agriculture and the low butterfly numbers could have an effect on it.

Lopez says the heat and lack of rain has affected the butterfly count, and they are showing up later than before.

"Butterflies are very important to our environment. We're all connected in some way and honestly our pollinators are very important for us to all learn about environmental conservation and protect what's around us and the land that we have. The Valley actually has five percent left of what was its native thorn scrub, and we need to work on gaining that back," Lopez said.

To help, the center encourages families to attend the free community day to kick off the festival.

Lopez says families will be able to learn more about the butterflies, bees and how to help protect the environment.

The center will have games, give tours on the 100 acre property and hold a plant sale to contribute back to the center.

The free community day will be at the National Butterfly Center in Mission on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

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