Butterflies alight in us a wonder and curiosity of how such a small insect can conquer and soften the hearts of people across the world. To see a butterfly brings peace. I can stay mesmerized for hours watching butterflies fly from flower to flower. All heads turn at the mention of a butterfly being present. We desire to know the secret of how a wiggly caterpillar can turn into a winged creature, but that mystery is the magic behind a butterfly. They appear to be amongst the most delicate of creatures, but it is because of this elegance and fragility that we seek to become attuned to our surroundings. Butterflies welcome us to explore the rest of creation. They invite us to take care of our environment and praise God who was behind every detail of their design. We have only begun to scratch the surface of life and science so I invite you to come along with me as I take you on a journey of pictures I took while visiting the Magic Wings Butterfly House at the Museum of Life and Science.
Magic Wings Butterfly House Website: http://lifeandscience.org/exhibits/magic-wings-butterfly-house
The butterfly conservatory is the largest museum butterfly house east of the Mississippi. It is 35 feet tall enclosed in glass that simulates a tropical environment. Butterflies like tropical steamy environments and the exhibit caters to that. They have a water feature and keep the temperature at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 250 exotic plant species add color and vibrancy to the conservatory. They allure the butterflies down to allow us tourists to gaze at their beauty.
The Mary Martha Uzzle Emerging Wonders Window allows guests to see the magic behind the emergence of a butterfly.
To capture a photo of the Blue Morpho with its wings open is not common place. This is the first time in my 5 + years of raising butterflies and 12 years of photography that I’ve gotten such a crisp photo of a Blue Morpho in this position.
Butterflies are friendly and may land on you if you are patient. In is prudent not to try and catch a butterfly unless you are an experienced butterfly raiser. They are resilient, but still can be easily damaged.
There were a wide variety of tropical plants and some were simply on the wild side.
They also had trees like this Cocoa tree which is the source of a oh so delicious chocolate bar.
Outside of the glass conservatory the tour and learning experience continued with mounted butterfly specimens from around the world on different continents. The Bayer Crop Science Insectarium is part of the experience that has 25 live exotic and native species of insects and predators including a rather hairy tarantula. My first thought, “I wonder if they let anybody hold it?”
The conclusion or beginning of the experience depending on your perspective, was in the great outdoors where native plant species and wild flowers attract butterflies, bees, and pollinators. This patch above are Common Milkweed which are native to North America and are the host plant of the famous Monarch butterfly. Every flower is a source of food and nourishment for our winged insect friends. Thanks for joining me on this tour!
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