Liam O'Brien's BUTTERFLIES OF THE BAY AREA In Store Event and Book Signing

Join us at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore on Wednesday, October 8 at 7:00 PM when local author Liam O'Brien comes to present his new book Butterflies of the Bay Area and (Slightly) Beyond: An Illustrated Guide. Liam will discuss his book, and will sign copies after the presentation. Liam will be joined in conversation by Cat Chang.

Click here to order a copy of Butterflies of the Bay Area prior to the event.

An illustrated obsession, a guidebook, a kaleidoscope of life on the wing.

"If you live in the Bay Area and wish to know the butterflies, this is the only field guide you'll ever need." —Lewis Hyde, author of The Gift

Liam O'Brien has spent three decades chasing, learning about, protecting, occasionally catching, and always loving butterflies. Here, he shares his capacious knowledge of California butterflies through a treasure trove of stories and 700 gorgeous, hand-drawn illustrations—featuring both adult forms and caterpillars—of the 135 species that live in the greater Bay Area. This sumptuous book also shares practical tips for finding and identifying all the butterflies who call the Bay Area home. Learn which plants nurture Silver-spotted Skippers, which trail to hike to see Swallowtails flitting creek-side, and why so many butterflies cluster on hilltops. Share in the joy that O'Brien brings to the study of butterflies, and join the community scientists contributing to our understanding of Monarchs, Metalmarks, and Marbles—and what they need to survive and thrive in our busy Bay Area.

LIAM O'BRIEN is a self-taught lepidopterist and illustrator. He used to be a professional actor, having appeared in Les Misérables on Broadway, but shifted his powers of observation towards nature several decades back. He’s fascinated not only by butterflies but also by our relationships to them. He surveyed the county of San Francisco, where he lives, for which butterfly species remained in 2007 and 2009 and has been involved in the preservation and restoration of several local species throughout the Bay Area. O’Brien was the recipient of Bay Nature magazine’s Local Hero Award for Environmental Education in 2014. He lives in San Francisco. For more of his work, follow him on Instagram @robber_fly.

CATHERINE CHANG is an adjunct professor of Architecture at University of San Francisco, she directs Madrone Design Studio, and advises institutions and governmental agencies. Her work focuses on buildings and landscapes supporting regenerative ecological, agricultural and cultural footprints within cities.  USEPA, SF Unified School District, City Slicker Farms and Art Esteem are among key clientele. She lectures publicly, offering talks on community greening, urban agriculture, sustainable design techniques and using fire hardening efforts to promote biodiversity in fire-prone areas.

THIS EVENT is free but registration is requested. Registration ends at 6:00 pm on October 8.

BECAUSE SEATING is limited, please register only if you plan to attend.

DUE TO SPACE limitations, we may not be able to accommodate every person at an event, so early registration is encouraged.

WALK-INS will be accommodated only if space allows.

WE ASK that attendees arrive between 6:45 and 7:00 PM for the event.

PLEASE leave your non-support companion animals at home.

OUR shared restrooms are not accessible after 6:30 PM, please plan accordingly.