Summer is peak butterfly season and the perfect time to get kids involved with nature. Butterflies are beautiful, and it’s entertaining to watch them. They are known to spark children’s innate curiosity and foster an appreciation of the natural world.
There are many opportunities to observe butterflies in Colorado, including programs largely driven by the Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster. The pavilion has grown considerably since I took my children there on opening day more than 30 years ago. Now the pavilion offers more than exhibits. It offers summer camps and educational workshops designed to expand interest in all pollinators and their habitats.
Families can get kids involved in initiatives such as the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network, Butterfly Quest, and the Urban Prairies Project. The volunteer-based CBMN program monitors butterfly populations across Colorado. Butterfly Quest involves the community in tracking butterflies to assist scientists studying butterfly behavior. The Urban Prairies Project engages people in habitat restoration and protection while focusing on benefits to native species and planting milkweed for monarch butterflies.
While the Butterfly Pavilion is the oldest facility, others have emerged across the state.
The Fort Collins Butterfly House at The Gardens on Spring Creek houses a number of species in partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion. Its 200-square-foot living wall features more than 2,000 plants and provides sufficient roosting space for North American butterflies and moths. You can see several hundred flying about at any time and will be thrilled by the sound of their fluttering wings. If you time it right, you can actually watch butterflies emerge from the chrysalises through a window.
Western Colorado Botanical Gardens in Grand Junction features a butterfly house on its 15-acre site along the Colorado River. Outdoor specialty gardens also attract native butterflies.
Coloradans who don’t have a butterfly house nearby can ask the Butterfly Pavilion about their traveling library program. Experts bring interactive stations to communities for hands-on learning. The Transformation Module explores the butterfly’s life cycles and brings metamorphosis to life for learners of all ages.
If you really get into watching butterflies, you might even want to build your own butterfly garden. Once kids learn about the butterfly’s fascinating life cycle, they become enthusiastic about searching for and identifying butterflies. They enjoy looking for different species and are fascinated by the mystery of metamorphosis.
Master gardener Vicki Spencer writes on a variety of topics including gardening, electrical safety, water conservation, and more.
