Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Created in 2006 by the National Association of Botanical Gardens (AMJB), whose main objective is to raise awareness about botanical gardens and their role in the conservation and protection of the environment, Mexico's National Botanical Garden Day will be celebrated this year on Saturday, June 22.

The celebration, which takes place simultaneously in cities across the country, is a day to enjoy the gardens, to enjoy the beauty of plants, and to understand the role they play in our lives.

Here in Puerto Vallarta, the Vallarta Botanical Garden (VBG) will celebrate National Botanical Gardens Day from 9:00 to 4:00 pm with a day full of family-friendly activites.

For "early-birds," there will be some special morning activities that will take place from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, and are available by appointment only. These include:

• A visit to the property that the Vallarta Botanical Garden would like to aquire as a new preserve with the VBG's staff Biologist Leonardo Campos

• Visit the VBG's beehives with MJ Talit León

• An Artisanal Chocolate workshop and interpretive tour of the Vallarta Botanical Garden's cacao plants with Dr. Laura Aguilar of Planeta Cacao

*Participation in these special morning activities costs $300 pesos in addition to the Garden entry fee of $200 pesos. To reserve your space, please send an email to escolar(at)vbgardens.org by Thursday, June 20.

At 12:00 noon, a wonderful afternoon of discovery will begin with a series of 10-15 minute educational talks about Mother Nature's pollinators, including:

• "Hummingbirds and Their Favorite Plants" by Dr. Rosio Tersita Amparan Saldo
• "Butterflies and Their Favorite Plants" by Veronica Guevera
• "Bees and Their Favorite Plants" by MJ Talit León
• "Bats and Their Favorite Plants" by Biologist Ana Nuño
• "Ants and Their Favorite Plants" by Biologist Ana Nuño

Afterwards (from 1:00 to 2:00 pm), you can use your newfound knowledge on a one-hour hike through the Garden guided by staff Biologist Leonardo Campos, who will lead you on a search for these insects and teach you more about the plants they pollinate.

Later (from 2:00 to 4:00), there will be more family-friendly activities, including live music by José Lupe and a Kid's Bee Costume workshop led by Elena Díaz and Veronica Guevera.

*All of the afternoon activities are included in the price of admission to the Garden.

While there, visitors may also explore the Vallarta Botanical Garden's inspirationally landscaped grounds, fascinating botanical collections, impressive plant conservatories and adventurous trails through the forest preserve, so make plans now to come out on Saturday, June 22, 2019 for an amazing day of discovery!