Monarch butterflies are back.

The first of the monarch butterflies have been spotted recently on the Blue Ridge Parkway, a key migration route for Monarchs on that long journey south to Mexico for the winter. A wave of monarchs will increase over coming weeks.

A special program at Waterrock Knob Visitor Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, prompting educators and workers there to launch a “Winging it on the Parkway” program Saturday, Sept. 3, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The environmental program at the visitor center, located a few miles south of the Parkway entrance at Balsam, will share information on the butterflies’ lifecycles, migration patterns and more. This is for kids of all ages, and activities include making butterfly puppets.