2008 Woodie Awards
Butterflies wow crowds
Jillian Daniels
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
Each day during the month of March, the Botanic Garden and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas are putting on an exhibition featuring the release of 2,000 tropical butterflies per week into the Fort Worth Botanic Garden conservatory.
Releases happen three times a day at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., but conservatory curator John Langevim said releases may happen more frequently if additional butterflies emerge from their chrysalises on a given day.
"Last week at a release it sounded like a rock star had appeared on stage," Langevim said. "You could just hear a big roar of gasps and cries of delight when he released the butterflies. Anyone who's there is wowed."
Langevim said that while the initial release of the butterflies may be climatic, it's not the only attraction to the exhibit.
"It's not all about the release," he said. "They're flying around the conservatory- a 10,000 square-foot, 45 foot high greenhouse. Even when they're not doing a release, you can still see butterflies feeding on fruit we have out for them."
According to Langevim, the butterflies vary in size, with wingspans ranging from as small as 1 ¾ of an inch up to the Atlas moth, whose wingspan can reach up to 12 inches.
"It's a very popular, very beautiful event," said Kathy Scott, a Botanic Garden employee. "It's just magical."
On a busy day there will be up to 150 people in the conservatory at a time, Langevim said, with the majority being parents and grandparents with children.
"It's an educational program, but mainly it's a fun event," he said. "It brings a lot of people into the garden and exposes people who might not come here otherwise."
While Langevim admits that college students usually do not make up the majority of the attendees, he said that should not discourage NT students from attending.
"When you see so many butterflies flying around in a small space like that," he said, "it's hard not to be impressed."
Ticket prices for adults are $10, and the garden is located at 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. in Fort Worth.
Releases happen three times a day at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., but conservatory curator John Langevim said releases may happen more frequently if additional butterflies emerge from their chrysalises on a given day.
"Last week at a release it sounded like a rock star had appeared on stage," Langevim said. "You could just hear a big roar of gasps and cries of delight when he released the butterflies. Anyone who's there is wowed."
Langevim said that while the initial release of the butterflies may be climatic, it's not the only attraction to the exhibit.
"It's not all about the release," he said. "They're flying around the conservatory- a 10,000 square-foot, 45 foot high greenhouse. Even when they're not doing a release, you can still see butterflies feeding on fruit we have out for them."
According to Langevim, the butterflies vary in size, with wingspans ranging from as small as 1 ¾ of an inch up to the Atlas moth, whose wingspan can reach up to 12 inches.
"It's a very popular, very beautiful event," said Kathy Scott, a Botanic Garden employee. "It's just magical."
On a busy day there will be up to 150 people in the conservatory at a time, Langevim said, with the majority being parents and grandparents with children.
"It's an educational program, but mainly it's a fun event," he said. "It brings a lot of people into the garden and exposes people who might not come here otherwise."
While Langevim admits that college students usually do not make up the majority of the attendees, he said that should not discourage NT students from attending.
"When you see so many butterflies flying around in a small space like that," he said, "it's hard not to be impressed."
Ticket prices for adults are $10, and the garden is located at 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. in Fort Worth.
Be the first to comment on this story