Now we have a Rent-A-Car! We're like two teenagers just getting their license.

So off we went to Gainesville in mid Florida. Gainesville is home of the University of Florida, a gorgeous campus that houses a Natural History Museum. As part of that complex, there is a butterfly vivarium (large enclosed rainforest-like space that allows sunlight & air to move through it) and on Saturdays they have a commentaried release of butterflies. They hatch the larvae there in the museum but the larvae are grown in their natural habitat. For example, if a butterfly is from Costa Rica, then the U.S. feels that the butterfly eggs should remain there within their country in hopes that the native country will continue to protect their rainforests.

It is spectacular!

The butterflies are everywhere you turn and all you have to do is stop and they light on you. The whole experience is just so peaceful and heart-warming. To watch the reaction of other humans in that environment is amazing. You can just see all the tension come of their faces & their demeanor change.

A few butterfly facts:

- Butterflies (I didn't know this) only live about two weeks ......so, they're very busy when alive!! In this vivarium environment they live with many other species, as well as finches, turtles & koi in the streams that flow through the vivarium. And they die naturally there. To raise funds, there is a jeweller that uses portions of their wings to make earrings & pendants. Now I have a pendant with a wing piece from a Blue Morpho....like the one that sat on my shoe.
- We all know that Monarch butterflies fly south to Central America for the winter. Did you know it takes about 5 generations of butterflies to make one trip south!
- Butterflies love peeled bananas.
- There are many plants that attract butterflies and will survive in N.S., like echinacea
- I asked the guide what was the largest predator of butterflies. He didn't hesitate to say, "Kindergartners!"

To see some of the butterflies in the vivarium click on the Photo Gallery on the right of this posting & go to Butterflies Freeflying. All the pictures are of live butterflies caught between bouts of flight......they love having their picture taken!!!