Posted:
12/6/2021 |
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Date: December 6, 2021
Contact: Missouri Botanical Garden Public Relations Dept.
Phone: (314) 577-0286 office (media use only)
Email: cmartin@mobot.org (media use only)
For Immediate Release
SOPHIA M. SACHS BUTTERFLY HOUSE RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FOR CULMINATION OF NEW ENTOMOLOGY LAB
International Paper grant will fund equipment and materials for the lab
(CHESTERFIELD) International Paper awarded the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House a $50,000 grant for the culmination of its new Miracle of Metamorphosis Entomology Lab.
The Entomology Lab, which opened in September, more than doubles the space staff use to receive and process arriving butterflies, care for hundreds of other invertebrates, and provide visitors an interactive learning experience. The goal of the project is to break down the barrier between what’s on display and what’s behind the scenes, increasing every visitor’s understanding of, and appreciation for, butterflies and other invertebrates. Through large windows of the new Lab, visitors can watch and learn about the daily work of entomologists.
Funds from the International Paper grant will go toward new equipment and materials needed for the invertebrate animal collection, including new enclosures, tanks, bedding, and mobile tanks.
“We were elated to be chosen to receive the grant from International Paper for our new Entomology Lab,” Butterfly House Director Jennifer Mullix said. “Not only because their generous support was the culminating gift needed to meet our fundraising goal but they are also a company who has a sustainable mission that aligns with the missions of the Butterfly House and the Missouri Botanical Garden.”
The Lab also serves a key role as the Butterfly House works to increase both knowledge about invertebrates and create positive attitudes toward insects and arachnids. The Lab’s exterior includes interactive exhibit elements to provide hands-on learning for guests of all ages.
Visitors can see the entomologists in action in the new Lab at the Butterfly House during open hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesdays-Sundays. For more information, visit butterflyhouse.org.
The International Paper Foundation is one of the ways International Paper strives to reach its vision to be among the most successful, sustainable and responsible companies in the world. Started in 1952, the foundation annually provides millions in grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations to address critical needs in the communities where its employees live and work. Funding priority is given to programs related to its signature causes: education, hunger, health & wellness, disaster relief, and initiatives that improve the planet. For more information, visit ipgiving.com.
“International Paper is thrilled to continue partnering with the Missouri Botanical Garden in supporting the Miracle of Metamorphosis Entomology Lab and the education it will bring to our community,” said Joe Winters, complex general manager. “International Paper’s annual donation of $50,000 enables the Garden to continue essential efforts around conservation and restoration of natural habitats. We hope visitors take this opportunity to be inspired by and participate in hands-on learning.”
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The mission of the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House is “to foster a greater understanding of plant and animal relationships in the environment in order to promote the conservation and restoration of natural habitats.” The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House became a division of the Missouri Botanical Garden in 2001. The Butterfly House is located in St. Louis County’s Faust Park at 15050 Faust Park in Chesterfield, Missouri. The central feature of the attraction is an 8,000-square-foot glass conservatory where visitors mingle with more than 60 tropical species of the world’s most beautiful butterflies in free flight.
About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global producer of renewable fiber-based packaging and pulp products with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. We produce packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness. We are headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. and employ approximately 38,000 colleagues. Net sales for 2020 were $21 billion*. In Russia, the Company has a 50/50 joint venture, Ilim Group, the country's largest integrated manufacturer of pulp and paper and its largest foreign-domestic alliance in the forestry products sector. For more information about International Paper, our products and global citizenship efforts, please visit internationalpaper.com.
*Inclusive of our former pulp and paper mill in Kwidzyn, Poland, which was sold on August 6, 2021, and our former global papers business, which became a standalone, publicly traded company on October 1, 2021.