Riviera Utilities will mark the return of monarch butterflies with its first Welcome Back Monarch Day, a community event set for Saturday, May 9 from 9 to 10 a.m. in Foley.

The event is designed to educate residents about the monarchs’ annual migration while encouraging efforts to protect native pollinators and plant species vital to the Gulf Coast ecosystem, a news release said.

Activities will begin at the Foley Civic Center, 407 E. Laurel Avenue, with a presentation by Carmen Flammini of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Flammini will discuss monarch migration patterns and the role native pollinator gardens play in sustaining the species.

Following the presentation, attendees will move next door to the Riviera Utilities Native Pollinator Garden, 413 E. Laurel Avenue, for guided tours. The release also said that participants will also receive milkweed plants and seeds to help establish pollinator-friendly spaces at home. Milkweed is a critical host plant for monarch butterflies and has declined in many areas due to development and land use changes, contributing to population losses.

Children and families can take part in hands-on crafts and activities hosted by the Foley Public Library at both locations. Complimentary water and light snacks will be provided.

Riviera Utilities created the Native Pollinator Garden as part of a broader commitment to environmental stewardship across the Gulf Coast. The site serves as both a habitat and an educational resource, highlighting how native plants support pollinators essential to biodiversity, agriculture and ecosystem health.

“Vegetation management is about more than maintaining our utility system — it’s about improving and caring for the environment we all share,” Josh Roberts, vegetation management superintendent at Riviera Utilities, said in the release. “Our Native Pollinator Garden gives us the opportunity to support pollinators like the monarch butterfly while showing our community how simple actions, like selecting native plant species, can make a lasting impact right here on the Gulf Coast.”

By combining education, hands-on activities and community engagement, the event reflects Riviera Utilities’ mission to balance infrastructure needs with environmental responsibility.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.rivierautilities.com.