ULM Museum of Natural History hosts Spring Speaker Event on Mar. 24

Published March 5, 2026

ULM Museum of Natural History Linda Barber Auld Spring Speaker Series Tuesday, March 24, 2026 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Hanna Hall, First Floor

MONROE, La. – The University of Louisiana Monroe Museum of Natural History will host a Spring Speaker Event on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the first floor STEAM Room at the museum, located in Hanna Hall, 708 University Ave. in Monroe. This free event is open to all ages and will feature guest speaker Linda Barber Auld, a Louisiana Master Naturalist. Auld’s presentation is entitled “Plant It and They Will Come.”  

Linda Barber Auld, known to many as the “NOLA BugLady”, is a naturalist and educator from New Orleans who has spent nearly 50 years sharing her love of butterflies, moths, and beneficial insects with her community. She began her career in 1976 at Barber Laboratories, a family-owned pest control supply business, where she became known for making insect science approachable through hands-on learning and live insect displays.  

Over the years, Linda has raised and documented more than 147 species of butterflies and moths and has contributed to Monarch and butterfly research with organizations such as Monarch Watch, the North American Butterfly Association, and university research teams. She is the author of BugLady’s Butterfly Summer and the founder of Project: Monarch, an initiative that has helped schools and communities across Louisiana create pollinator habitats and Monarch Waystations.  

Recognized as an Outstanding Naturalist by the Louisiana Master Naturalists and a recipient of the Percy Viosca, Jr. Award, Linda continues to focus her work on conservation, education, and inspiring curiosity about the natural world. 

For more information about the ULM Museum of Natural History, visit www.ulm.edu/caes/museum.html.