By Carla Land South Texas in the Spring becomes a kaleidoscope of color and natural wonderment with the return and birth of a wide spectrum of butterflies. Often called nature's flying flowers, these beautiful creatures not only grace the landscape with their beauty but play a very important role in the balance of the environment. After all, if it wasn't for the butterflies and bees, we wouldn’t have any of that scrumptious Rio Grande Valley citrus fruit - or hundreds of other species of flowers and vegetation we enjoy in our subcortical climate. In fact, South Texas is home to 300 varieties of the 500 American butterfly species, and is well known as the Butterfly Capital of America. Naturalists from around the world travel to the Valley to easily spot species hard to find elsewhere in the United States. The year round warm climate makes it a great place to come anytime of the year to watch butterflies, but the spring and fall are the best times to see them in large numbers and variety. You could say butterfly Season is like a play, with spring being the First Act and Fall being the Last Act of the season.  During the last act the annual Mission Texas Butterfly Festival takes place, usually in October. The three day outdoor event brings hundreds of butterfly enthusiasts together at the crescendo of butterfly season for seminars, field trips, and outdoor fun. Fortunately for Rio Grande Valley visitors and residents, the 'First Act' has just begun, and it’s a great time to get out with friends and family and enjoy one of natures most beautiful creatures. It's not necessary to be an experienced naturalist to enjoy the fun of butterfly watching either. It’s not necessary to log your finds in a journal, to spout off the scientific names of each species you see in order to enjoy them. Who knows, you may get so inspired that you make it a regular hobby. And there’s plenty of places and people in the Rio Grande Valley who can help you nurture that interest. For more detailed information on butterfly watching and tips, contact the NABA South Texas Butterfly Club, 956-583-9009. They have an informative and beautiful website filled with all the information you need to get started, check it out at http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabast/. Another great option for butterfly watching is to create your own butterfly garden, not only will you enjoy your own private butterfly menagerie, you’ll be helping out the environment. With increased urban development, hurricanes and other natural weather phenomenon, much of the butterflies breeding and feeding grounds have been lost. A visit to your local plant nursery and a purchase of just a few butterfly attracting plants can get you started in creating your own butterfly garden. Check out Valley Butterfly Hotspots: Los Fresnos Butterfly Farm/956-233-4714 - Off Hwy. 100 and F.M. 803 between Brownsville and Los Fresnos NABA Butterfly Park/Mission, Texas/956-583-9009 - This butterfly park located in Mission offers butterfly watchers the chance to see some of the most beautiful Texas butterflies and migratory butterflies in South Texas. The park is dedicated to the education, conservation, and scientific research on wild butterflies and is a premier spot for Rio Grande Valley butterfly watching. Edinburg Wetlands World Birding Center/Edinburg, Texas/956-381-9922 - There is six acres of plentiful butterfly habitat perfect for butterfly watching. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife RefugeRio Hondo, Texas/956-748-3607 - The refuge has plentiful plant life and water ways that attract numerous butterflies to the area. Butterfly watchers are sure to see plenty of fluttering.