ALACHUA COUNTY – A free native plant, a cold craft beer and a chance to help endangered pollinators may seem like an unlikely combination, but organizers say the formula has proven successful in drawing people into conservation.
The Florida Museum of Natural History’s annual Pollinator Palooza returns June 27 from noon to 4 p.m. at First Magnitude Brewing Co., bringing together scientists, conservation organizations, families and craft beer enthusiasts for an afternoon dedicated to some of Florida’s most important and increasingly vulnerable species.
Presented in partnership with the Florida Wildflower Foundation and GROW HUB, the event highlights the role pollinators such as bees, butterflies and other insects play in maintaining healthy ecosystems while encouraging residents to take simple steps to support them.
One of the festival’s most popular attractions is the giveaway of native plants that provide food and habitat for pollinators. Each visitor may select one free plant while supplies last. Available species include American beautyberry, firebush, purple passion flower, climbing hydrangea, Atlantic St. John’s wort, crimsoneyed rosemallow, button rattlesnakemaster and bushy seaside oxeye.
Beyond the plant giveaway, Pollinator Palooza offers opportunities for visitors to learn directly from researchers and conservation professionals working to protect Florida’s pollinator populations.
Scientists from the Florida Museum’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity will be on hand to answer questions, showcase live caterpillars and discuss efforts to conserve endangered butterfly species and their habitats.
The event coincides with National Pollinator Week, observed June 22-28, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the ecological importance of pollinators and the challenges many species face because of habitat loss, pesticide use and other environmental pressures.
“We are again excited to pair our conservation beer releases and native plant giveaways with Pollinator Palooza. It’s a super fun and meaningful way to get people involved,” said Jaret Daniels, curator of lepidoptera at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. “Overall enthusiasm for pollinators has continued to grow, and we have certainly seen that with this event; people want to help make a difference.”
Craft beer has become an unexpected but effective conservation tool through a long-running collaboration between the museum and Gainesville-based First Magnitude Brewing Co. This year’s festival marks the 18th and 19th beer releases created through the partnership over the past decade.
The 2026 lineup features two specialty brews tied directly to pollinator conservation. The Pollinator Palooza Hazy IPA highlights four butterfly species — the monarch, frosted elfin, arogos skipper and Schaus’ swallowtail. The Blue Bee Watermelon Mint Gose honors the blue calamintha bee, one of Florida’s most distinctive native pollinators.
This year’s beers also bring the collaboration full circle by revisiting species featured in both the first and most recent conservation-themed releases.
“The Schaus was the first butterfly highlighted with our beer initiative, is our only federally endangered U.S. swallowtail and has been a real conservation success story,” Daniels said. “Beyond that, I met my wife working on it, so that makes it even extra special for me.”
While conservation remains the focus, organizers have also designed the festival to be a community celebration. Guests can enjoy live music by singer-songwriter Thomas Allain, explore educational exhibits and shop for event merchandise including T-shirts, tote bags and commemorative glasses.
A portion of proceeds from merchandise sales will support recovery efforts for imperiled butterfly species in Florida.
Whether attendees come for the plants, the music, the beer or the butterflies, organizers say the ultimate goal is inspiring more people to help create pollinator-friendly spaces at home and in their communities.
Pollinator Palooza is sponsored in part by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts.
# # #
Email cwalker@
alachuatoday.com
