Katherine and I went to a Craft Council meeting this morning and afterwards, at the wonderful suggestion of Laurie Dempster, went to the Butterfly House in Bowring Park.
It’s a project of the Newfoundland Insectarium in Deer Lake, in conjunction with the Bowring Park Foundation. They’ve turned the greenhouse, which is adjacent to the duck pond and park offices, into a Butterfly House for six weeks of the winter/spring.
It’s wonderful. You walk through a warm place, full of flying, colourful, gentle creatures (all are exotic varieties) and can either sit on one of the benches and just watch or wander around taking pictures and looking.
Hours are daily, from 9 to 6, until April 29th. Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for kids five and over (BRING CASH – I’m not sure if their plastic machine is up and running yet). Kids four and under are free. Initially, the cost was what kept me away, but having now gone, I’d happily go again and pay again. It was fabulous! Some landed on me. One landed on my camera and another landed on Katherine (although she liked the concept, she wasn’t entirely thrilled with the reality). They swooped and dove and did colourful acrobatics in the sun.
They were also great photo fodder, as you can see below! (Clicking the photo below will take you to the photo set for larger views of individual shots)
Raising the Bar Strength & Conditioning 
Oh that sounds like so much fun! I am impressed by your pictures. It is tough to get them to pose for a shot.
What happens after six weeks? Does everything pack up and go back to Deer Lake? Or will the current adults and pupae have lived out their natural lives in the greenhouse by then?
It was truly a wondrous thing. Surprisingly, many of them sat quite still for good shots. They had plates of fresh fruit scattered for them and were bringing in new plants daily, so there was lots for the critters to eat. When the sun broke through, they went nuts and flew everywhere all at once.
After the exhibit closes, they carefully pack everyone up and take them to the west coast for another such exhibit. They’re quite a conscientious bunch of people and are being quite careful of the butterflies. The ambient air temperature should be warmer by the end of April, thus endangering the insects less (although they do travel in heated containers). The Insectarium is planning to have a butterfly house for the rest of the summer, so everyone should live to their natural lifespan, or thereabouts.
The Butteryfly Pavillion at the Insecterium in Deer Lake is a lot of fun… that, and the glass beehive, make it well worth the visit. Anyone passing through the Deer Lake area ought to go.
what beautiful pictures, and what a wonderful idea !!
That would be something I would enjoy,
Have a great day Vicky!
I find this perfectly fascinating. They would have to drag me out at closing time each day – in fact, I would probably end up working there for free.
I am with Deb.
Thanks for the additional information, Vicky.
I think everybody should get a chance to hang out with butterflies!
this has been added to my list of places to go when my husband and I venture up to your area someday. I want to see the deep blue of that ocean water in real life! Beautiful wool that you’ve spun too! Thanks for making my morning surf so enjoyable!
kathy
Great to hear about this Vicky. I’d like to see them and get some photos, but, like Katherine, I’m not too keen on them landing on me – I’m not a bug person. Yeah, I know, they’re butterflies, but they’re still bugs lol
I remember taking my daughter to a butterfly conservatory in England when she was young. Beautiful butterflies but I had to keep my hands in my pockets to resist brushing them off me if they landed.