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The western monarch population has rebounded in recent years to the hundreds of thousands after it plummeted in 2020 to just 2,000 butterflies. But even though the butterfly bounced back, its numbers are still well below what they were in the 1980s.

Celebrate the arrival of spring at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park with the return of Spring Safari featuring Butterfly Jungle. Spring is the season to get outdoors, spend time with family and experience bold, colorful new adventures.Spring Safari will shine a spotlight on the incredible local wildlife in the Southwest region, including monarch butterflies. California is a winter refuge for western monarchs. Unique to our region, western monarchs are in danger of vanishing, and their numbers have plummeted by more than 99% in recent years. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance scientists are leading efforts to protect and raise awareness about the plight of western monarchs and other native San Diego butterflies, and Spring Safari guests will learn about how they can help.Throughout the event, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park will be filled with springtime treats and festivities around every corner. Guests will enjoy live entertainment from the high-energy dance crew The Bee Team, the musical duo the Bluebirds and the talented juggler Bee Plus, among others. An array of strawberry-themed food and beverages will be available for purchase to enhance the “all things spring” experience.As part of Spring Safari, the Safari Park will feature optional premium Butterfly Jungle experiences. The Butterfly Jungle Safari experience will once again invite visitors to wander through the Hidden Jungle aviary among hundreds of butterflies, have a chance to feed them and learn about their critical role in the ecosystem. Separately, the all-new Wildlife Photo Trek: Butterly Jungle will enable guests to spend one hour inside Butterfly Jungle photographing the birds and butterflies.Spring Safari featuring Butterfly Jungle will take place March 16 through May 12. The Butterfly Jungle habitat is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Premium Butterfly Jungle experiences are not included with admission. For more information about Butterfly Jungle, visit sdzsafaripark.org/butterflyjungle.To learn more about Spring Safari, visit sdzsafaripark.org/springsafariSan Diego Zoo Safari Park on Facebook / Instagram

The annual butterfly migration is underway. For decades scientists have relied on volunteers to tag butterflies to provide details about their journey.

Your Tuesday plans just got a whole lot sweeter! Free Cone Day returns to Ben & Jerry’s at Seaport Village—home to both of San Diego’s only brick-and-mortar storefronts of the iconic scoop shop, located in the Lighthouse District + Carousel District. On Tuesday, April 16, enjoy unlimited FREE scoops of any flavors from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., no purchase necessary. All donations from the day will benefit the Monarch School Project—a local nonprofit providing education and wellness programming to unhoused children in grades K-12. Ben & Jerry's San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

A group of 21 San Diego County restaurants and bars will take part in the inaugural San Diego Cocktail Championship on Sunday, April 28 at a downtown San Diego block party, with guests sampling and voting for their favorite cocktail.The Cocktail Championship block party is hosted by Rustic Root, Swing Social, and Tiki Annex – all on Gaslamp Quarter’s 5th Avenue, a portion of which will be blocked off from Market Street to Island Avenue for the event. General admission tickets are $49 and can be purchased here. The price includes mini cocktails from each of the 21 establishments from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. VIP tickets are also available for $79, and the price includes food offerings and early access beginning at 1:00 p.m.All voters are automatically registered to win $2,100 worth of gift cards – $100 from each of the 21 restaurants and bars.Participating bars and restaurants include:Captain's QuartersCococabanaFernsideGilly’s House of CocktailsHuntress SteakhouseinsideOUTLumi by Akira BackMoe'sMonarch Ocean PubMoonshine FlatsOB Surf LodgePonce's Mexican RestaurantRustic RootSwing SocialTavern at the BeachThe Butcher's Cut SteakhouseThe Holding CompanyThe Whiskey HouseUnion Kitchen & TapUnion Kitchen & TapVogue TavernFor more information visit: cocktailchampionship.comStay Connected on Facebook and Instagram

Our top picks for theater and opera in San Diego this season: Electropop and Tolstoy; free, immersive theater; a diverse, comedy spin on "Hamlet"; classic Puccini; and a new LGBTQ+ musical about friendship and happy endings.

"Madama Butterfly" by Giacomo PucciniSan Diego Civic Theatre1100 Third AvenueSan Diego, CA 92101Friday, April 26, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.Sunday, April 28, 2024 at 2 p.m.Amidst the cherry blossoms of Nagasaki, a young woman makes a stand to support herself as a geisha after her disgraced father takes his life. Fate intervenes and brings her an American Naval Officer and she falls desperately in love. Unaware she is just a distraction to him, she believes they are married and renounces her religion as he sails away promising to return. And he does return, ready to take their child and raise him with his American wife. With her broken heart, she must choose to live with dishonor or die with honor.These performances star soprano Corinne Winters (last heard as Violetta in 2017’s "La traviata") and tenor Adam Smith as Pinkerton in his "Company" debut. San Diego Opera’s Principal Conductor Yves Abel returns to lead the San Diego Symphony with Jose Maria Condemi directing these performances.LANGUAGE – Sung in Italian with English and Spanish text projected above the stageRUN TIME – 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission.Madama Butterfly In Discussion: In preparation for our upcoming production of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly," San Diego Opera will host a series of online conversations. Click here for more information and to RSVP.Pre-Opera Talk: The pre-opera talk begins at 6:40 p.m. before the 7:30 p.m. Friday evening performance. The Sunday matinee pre-opera talk begins at 1:10 p.m. before the 2 p.m. curtain.Mainstage Post-Opera Talk-Back: Stay after the performance for a Talk-Back. Once the curtain falls, there will be a 10-minute break, then join us in the front of the Dress Circle section where you can ask questions of the stars and cast (subject to availability), and find out what really happened onstage and backstage during the performance!

Everyone in the community is invited to attend Wings of Hope, hosted by The Elizabeth Hospice, on Sunday, April 28, from 1 to 3 p.m. This event will take place at the California Center for the Arts, located at 340 N. Escondido Blvd in Escondido. Attendees will have the opportunity to honor and celebrate the special people who have touched their lives. Admission is free. Registration is required by April 19 online at www.elizabethhospice.org/wings or by calling 760.796.3708.Attendees will receive a butterfly for release, listen to live music, hear uplifting messages from The Elizabeth Hospice’s grief support team, and enjoy sweet treats. The Elizabeth Hospice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit healthcare leader, has been providing hospice care, palliative care and grief support services to children and adults in San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County since 1978. The organization’s highly trained grief counselors help children and adults understand their feelings and thoughts and guide them through the process of coping with the death of a loved one. Grief support services are available to everyone in the community, including those who do not have a patient affiliation with The Elizabeth Hospice. No one needing these services has ever been turned away for financial reasons. In support of the organization’s nonprofit mission, a donation of $50 is suggested to reserve a Painted Lady Butterfly. Additional giving opportunities are available. For more information, contact Tylie Daniels at Tylie.Daniels@ehospice.org or 760.796.3708. All donations benefit The Elizabeth Hospice’s vital services for children and adults impacted by serious illness, grief and loss.The Elizabeth Hospice on Facebook / Instagram

Are you ready to Party for the Planet? In honor of Earth Day, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is hosting Party for the Planet, a family-friendly event celebrating our ocean planet while highlighting some of the simple steps we all can take to make a difference.The event runs April 20-21 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and includes an hourly parade, people powered music and interactive stations that show how we can collectively tackle some of our planet’s greatest climate challenges.“Taking care of our ocean planet can be fun,” said Matthew Arrollado, Public Programs Coordinator at Birch Aquarium. “Our community can be great stewards of the environment every day of the year. We encourage San Diegans to spring into action by making small adjustments in their everyday lives that collectively can have a massive impact for our planet.”Party for the Planet Schedule of Events/ActivitiesEntrance CourtyardCarbon Station (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Breathe in, breathe out. Explore natural and unnatural sources of carbon dioxide, how increasing emissions impacts our local ecosystems, and what we can do to help protect our ocean planet.Bike Powered Music (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Pedal your way to your favorite tunes with Rock the Bike. Guests can take a break and pedal a stationary bicycle to play a curated selection of music through speakers in the entry courtyard.Glitter Tattoos (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)GalleriaCraft Station (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Get ready to party… for the planet! Design and create your own party hat headband to show off during our party for the planet parade!Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Join the Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) - San Diego Chapter to learn about how we use maps to understand our changing kelp forests and how these tools can inform action to protect these important habitats.Blue Beach Hourly Parades (11, 12, 1, 2): Make some noise and celebrate our ocean planet with a parade starring YOU! Dance, march, and make some noise while boogieing behind our staff drum major through the aquarium!Kelp Conversations with Planeteando (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Engage with climate communicators from Estudios Planeteando.Kelp Art Station (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Contribute to an upcycled kelp art project crafted by Barrio Logan-based fabric artist Sew Loka. Improvisational Performances (1:15 and 2:30 p.m.): Take in improvisational performances by Imagine Theatre Company and The Chrysalis: Monarch Center for the Arts as they connect guests’ personal ocean stories through art and theater.Party for the Planet is part of an annual nationwide initiative by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and its 220-plus accredited members.The event is included with the cost of General Admission. Annual memberships are also available. Now through Labor Day, the aquarium is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on select nights and advanced reservations are required for all guests, except members. Visit aquarium.ucsd.edu for more information about Party for the Planet.Birch Aquarium at Scripps on Facebook / Instagram

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.