Travel Briefs

Butterfly fest set for Sept. 26 in Va. Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH -- The Butterfly Society of Virginia will host Butterfly Festival 2009 on Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Virginia Beach.

The festival is free and will feature speakers, walks in the butterfly garden, a tent filled with local butterflies, and crafts, including tips for raising a caterpillar. Butterfly-related books, novelties and plants to attract butterflies will be available for purchase.

For details, call B.J. Taylor at (757) 486-3056 or e-mail .

Put Columbus on your birding circuit

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When you think of great places to watch migrating birds, Columbus might not be at the top of your list.

But the city is getting a new facility to highlight local birdwatching opportunities along the Scioto River, described as an important birding area for thousands of migrating birds from Central and South America that use the spot as a stopover point.

The new $7.8 million Grange Insurance Audubon Center will open there on the Whittier Peninsula this month at 505 W. Whittier St., a 10-minute walk from the heart of downtown Columbus. The river and adjacent 82-acre greenspace, including Scioto Audubon Metro Park, offer an oasis for birds and other wildlife.

The center will be open Tuesdays through Sundays beginning Aug. 28, with free admission, and the building will be green, with alternative energy sources providing heating and cooling.

-- From Staff and Wire Reports