Butterflies in flight

A monarch butterfly rests on flowers waiting to be selected, tagged then released for its annual migration south to Mexico.

Volunteer Leah Streeter hands a tagged monarch butterfly to Cole Kleven, 5, of Mountain Lake, to be released at Saturday's fifth annual Monarch Butterfly Festival at Dee and Kate's Butterfly House and Nature Center near Spirit Lake, Iowa.

"Make a wish, then wish them well," encouraged Dickinson County Naturalist Barbara Tagami to the hundreds of people releasing monarch butterflies such as Sierra Stanek, 10, of Sioux City, Iowa. (Brian Korthals/Daily Globe)

1/2: "Make a wish, then wish them well," encouraged Dickinson County Naturalist Barbara Tagami to the hundreds of people releasing monarch butterflies such as Sierra Stanek, 10, of Sioux City, Iowa. (Brian Korthals/Daily Globe)

2/2: Volunteer Leah Streeter hands a tagged monarch butterfly to Cole Kleven, 5, of Mountain Lake, to be released at Saturday's fifth annual Monarch Butterfly Festival at Dee and Kate's Butterfly House and Nature Center near Spirit Lake, Iowa.