Join us 6:30 tonight (Friday, Sept. 14) at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford, 1601 Parkview Ave., to learn all about butterflies and the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, a bird believed extinct for 60 years until it was reported in an Arkansas swamp three years ago.

Butterfly expert and author, and former Rockfordian, Alan Branhagen returns to talk about the adaptations that help defend, camouflage and make butterflies the beautiful creatures that they are.

Then, it’s Bobby Harrison, a Huntsville, Ala. college professor who for 33 years searched for the Ivory-billed woodpecker. In 2004, he and colleague Tim Gallagher made the firstlogo.gif qualified sighting of the bird since 1944. Bobby will tell first had the story of this rediscovery and show an unpublished video of the bird that was taken in September 2004.

Harrison’s discovery is controversial in the birding world. He’ll discuss the controversy, current search efforts, and evidence of Ivory-bills in other states.

These programs are FREE, part of the Mysteries and Miracles of Nature program that continues through Saturday, Sept. 15.

The series is in memory of Dr. Alan Hutchcroft and David L. Burdick, and sponsored by the law office of Jim Black and Associates, The Abilities Center, Specialty Screw and Rockford Litho Center.