Niagara Butterfly Conservatory a must see when in the area

After you’ve seen the falls and the tourist attractions on Clifton Hill you may wonder what else there is to do in the Niagara Falls area.

If you love nature then there is a magnificent wonder just a few blocks north on the Niagara Parkway.

The Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is one of your best bets in the region. Exotic greenery and flowing water create a rainforest-like environment for over 2,000 tropical butterflies that include over 40 different species that are housed in the 11,000 square foot climate controlled conservatory.

If you have travelled north on the Parkway past the whirlpool rapids towards the floral clock then you may have noticed the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.

The gardens were originally established in 1936 as the School for Apprentice Gardeners. It remains a unique location for studying gardening and obtaining the knowledge necessary to growl and maintain the landscapes of the park system. The school campus was officially declared a ‘botanical garden’ in 1990 and has since also become the home of the Butterfly Conservatory.

The Conservatory also houses the Botanical Garden’s tropical plant collection consisting of over 100 labelled plants creating a gardener’s paradise.

A 600 foot patch winds its way around the Conservatory revealing a variety of vantage points to view the countless butterfly beauties as they forage for nectar, bask in the sunshine or search for mates.

Butterflies have an amazing life cycle. They undergo several changes in body form and appearance during their metamorphosis from the egg to the caterpillar (larva) then to the chrysalis (pupa) and finally the adult butterfly.

After 10 to 14 days, young caterpillars hatch from eggs and then begin to feed. Caterpillars are considered the feeding stage of the life cycle. The caterpillar stage may last between 3 and 12 weeks depending on the species. They feed and build up fat reserves that the butterflieslater live on. During the pupa stage, the caterpillar is making its transformation into a butterfly. The butterfly emerges after about 14 days, its wet, crumpled wings unfold and dry. Then a new butterfly is ready to fly, mate and start the cycle all over again.

When you enter the tall conservatory room from the gift shop you will come upon the emergence window. Here you may view a variety of chrysalides. If you are lucky you may see a butterfly emerge. The windows are opened from the ‘nursery’ several times a day to let the newbutterflies join the others.

Gardeners know that every garden has its pests. In the conservatory they use biological controls to take care of any insect pests. Tiny wasps parasitize pest eggs and young insects, and tiny bugs and beetles hunt and eat other pests. A monitoring system allows the staff to decide which predators and parasites to introduce each week.

We visited the conservatory one spring morning and took a leisurely walk through the paths. It would be an understatement to say that there were more butterflies there than we had ever seen in one place before. Dozens of people were watching in amazement as the butterflies fluttered about, sometimes landing on the shoulder of a visitor. Children were in awe of the tiny colorful creatures that seemed to allow them to come up close enough to see but not quite close enough to touch. There were constant cries of “look behind you!” or “stand still!” as the butterflies mingled amongst the visitors.

The average life span of an adult butterfly is usually 2 to 3 weeks. To keep their populations high the Conservatory must introduce new butterflies every weekend. Many of them are imported from butterfly farms in Indo-Asia and Central America.

Caterpillars are raised to the chrysalis stage on these farms, then packaged and shipped by special air couriers to the Conservatory.

On their way they must pass through government inspections and Canada Customs.

Once at the conservatory they are placed in the emergency window for all visitors to see. Because many butterflies are seasonal they deal with over 120 different species in a year and depending on when you visit you may see a much different selection than you did on your lastvisit.

The Conservatory is also home to more than butterflies. Tiny Eurasian quails wander through the undergrowth as part of the clean-up crew. They eat dead butterflies. Other animals also add to the rainforest atmosphere. They included green iguanas basking in the sun as well asturtles and goldfish. Frogs and toads have also been introduced to help keep pests under control.

Butterflies are primarily nectar feeders. They use their long mouth parts to reach into flowers and suck out the nectar. They are considered beneficial because they pollinate the plants as they gather their food. The Conservatory places Yellow Sage and False Vervain plants in the forest to provide nectar for the butterflies to forage. They also place fruit feeding stations where the butterflies feed as well on the rotting fruit slices. These fruit stations attract primarily Owl and Morpho butterflies. The iridescent color of the Blue Morpho is created by tiny grooves in the scales that reflect blue when light strikes it at the proper angle. The white spots of the Greater egg fly changes to blue as it turns in the sunlight.

There’s a beautiful adventure waiting for you and your family at the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory so you might want to place it on your list of places that are a ‘must’ this season.

You can reach them at 2526 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6T2 or by calling 1-877-NIA-PARK (1-877-642-7275). Their website address is www.niagaraparks.com

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