NEW YORK—Young children frolicked excitedly through the lush vegetation as they interacted with over 500 butterflies at the preview for the upcoming exhibit of the Butterfly Conservatory at the American Museum of Natural History, opening on Saturday.
“There is always something to discover,” said Hazel Davies, the manager of Living Exhibits at the museum.
Now in its 13th year, “The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter” exhibit includes a habitat designed to make the butterflies feel at home, allowing visitors to observe their natural interactions including feeding, courtship, and basking, said Davies.
Four- and five-year-olds from the Goddard Riverside Head Start Program attended the Thursday preview of the seasonal exhibit dressed in butterfly wings and antennas as they began their exploration into the world of butterflies on Thursday.
Stepping into the humid, 80 degree temperature inside the 1,200 square foot vivarium visitors are instantly immersed into a tropical world, far different from the chilly weather outside. A wide range of butterflies of all sizes and colors fluttered through the area giving visitors a chance to closely interact with the colorful creatures.
The exhibit is home to over 500 butterflies, including over 130 species from around the world that are free to fly and interact with visitors among the tropical flowers and vegetation.
Brought in from farms around the world, including Thailand, Australia, and Costa Rica, visitors can find scarlet swallowtails, blue morpho’s and owl butterflies in the crowd, to name just a few.
The exhibit opens this Saturday, Oct. 16 and runs to May 30, 2011.
“There is always something to discover,” said Hazel Davies, the manager of Living Exhibits at the museum.
Now in its 13th year, “The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter” exhibit includes a habitat designed to make the butterflies feel at home, allowing visitors to observe their natural interactions including feeding, courtship, and basking, said Davies.
Four- and five-year-olds from the Goddard Riverside Head Start Program attended the Thursday preview of the seasonal exhibit dressed in butterfly wings and antennas as they began their exploration into the world of butterflies on Thursday.
Stepping into the humid, 80 degree temperature inside the 1,200 square foot vivarium visitors are instantly immersed into a tropical world, far different from the chilly weather outside. A wide range of butterflies of all sizes and colors fluttered through the area giving visitors a chance to closely interact with the colorful creatures.
The exhibit is home to over 500 butterflies, including over 130 species from around the world that are free to fly and interact with visitors among the tropical flowers and vegetation.
Brought in from farms around the world, including Thailand, Australia, and Costa Rica, visitors can find scarlet swallowtails, blue morpho’s and owl butterflies in the crowd, to name just a few.
The exhibit opens this Saturday, Oct. 16 and runs to May 30, 2011.
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