anita-camacho

Anita Camacho is a Tampa Bay native and passionate advocate for butterfly conservation, wildlife conservation, native plant restoration, and environmental education. As the President and Founder of the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation (TBBF) and the North American Butterfly Association – Tampa Bay Chapter (NABA Tampa Bay), Anita leads efforts to conserve butterflies and educate the public about their importance, as well as the role of other pollinators, in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Anita’s love for butterflies and Florida native plants has taken her across the globe. She has traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, and Kenya, participating in conferences and educational opportunities to deepen her knowledge of Lepidoptera. Locally, she has collaborated with three universities on Monarch butterfly research, focusing on their host plants and advancing scientific understanding.

Anita is an avid gardener with over 45 years of experience. Her home gardens, designed for butterflies, pollinators, and edibles, have been featured in events like the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation’s Native Plant Garden Tour (April 2024) and the Rose Circle Annual Garden Tour (2016), the latter drawing over 900 visitors. She is also a certified beekeeper through the USF program (2018) and has been an accredited consulting rosarian and certified rose show judge for over 15 years.

Professionally, Anita is a CPA with over three decades of experience in Tampa. She graduated from Land O’ Lakes High School and earned her undergraduate degree at The University of Tampa. She is also a devoted wife to Marc Camacho, and proud mother of four young adults, all pursuing higher education.

Anita actively serves on the board and has served on numerous organizations dedicated to conservation, horticulture, and education. She currently serves as Treasurer on the executive board of the International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors and Suppliers (IABES), Treasurer for Tampa Green Fest, and Committee Chair for the Kids in the Garden Summer Camp at the Tampa Garden Club. She has also served as Treasurer for the Tampa Federation of Garden Club Circles and is a member of two local garden circles—Rose and Moonlight.

Her memberships and affiliations include:

• International Association of Butterfly Exhibitors & Suppliers (IABES) (current Executive Board member and Treasurer)
• Southern Lepidopterists’ Society
• North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
• North American Butterfly Association – Tampa Bay (current President)
• Florida Native Plant Society – Suncoast Chapter (former Board member)
• Florida Association of Native Nurseries (FANN)
• Xerces Society
• Audubon Society – Tampa
• USF Botanical Gardens

Anita’s dedication to education and outreach is evident in her numerous presentations and talks. She has spoken at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for their Engineers and support staff which included a live stream for Space Center Houston. She has also done numerous talks for garden clubs, environmental organizations, schools and lunch-and-learn sessions for several businesses in the Tampa Bay area.  She is also a proud alliance member and supporter of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots Tampa Base Camp to further environmental education for the youth in the Tampa Bay area.

Anita’s lifelong commitment to butterfly conservation, native plant advocacy, and environmental stewardship continues to inspire and educate communities across Florida and beyond.