Photos

April 11, 2026 - Speaker Tom Riley

We had a TREMENDOUS program from Tom Riley on plants that attract butterflies and their caterpillars to the garden. Tom Riley has been a member of the Master Gardeners of the Ozarks since 2012. He has a life-long interest in insects, mainly butterflies, that began very early while growing up in Panama, where his parents worked for the Panama Canal Company.

After studying entomology and graduating from the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO, Tom joined the Department of Entomology at Louisiana State University.

At LSU he taught multiple entomology classes and worked on integrating insect management programs into agricultural production systems. After retiring from LSU in 2002, Tom moved to Taney County, MO to join Chase Studio of Cedar Creek, MO, a natural history exhibit design and fabrication company.

In 2012 he became a Master Gardener to learn how to grow and maintain garden plants that are attractive to butterflies and other insects.

Tom continues to pursue his interest in insects through:

Presentations to Missouri Master Gardeners
Insect photography
Conducting butterfly research in Panama as a research associate affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution’s Entomology Museum in Washington, D.C.

December 13, 2025 - Christmas Potluck

Our Annual Christmas Potluck was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Yellville. We enjoyed great food, fun and fellowship as well as a garden-related gift exchange!