Rosalynn Carter marking 95th birthday with butterflies

Rosalynn Carter, the second-oldest U.S. first lady ever, turns 95 Thursday on a birthday that will be marked not just with cards and best wishes, but with butterflies.

The wife of former President Jimmy Carter, 97, has a fascination with butterflies dating back to childhood, when she was entranced by the colorful insects flitting around her mother’s flowers in Plains, Georgia, longtime friend and neighbor Annette Wise said.

That interest led to the formation of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, which was established in the southwest Georgia town after the former first lady grew concerned about the future of butterflies, which are crucial to the pollination of flowering plants.

At: https://apnews.com/article/georgia-jimmy-carter-insects-butterflies-c807cd904a27c9da72bcac5bce727ee3

Author Annette Wise presents a copy of her book, The Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, to the trail's namesake, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

Mrs. Carter, who turns 95 today, established the trail in 2013 in her Plains, GA, home after reading about the plight of Monarch and other butterflies, which are crucial to the pollination of flowering plants.