Butterfly Encounter

Once upon a time we were introduced to a butterfly encounter while we were at Marine World and we were quite enchanted by the flitting of delicate and beautiful creatures all around us.   The encounter quickly became a favorite parts of our park visits.  So when I found out that during the month of July a local nature center had a butterfly encounter, we had to try it out.  When we had the opportunity to go, Nikolas was, unfortunately, sick so he did not go with us.  However, the rest of us went to discover the nature center. 

 The encounter was much smaller and simple than what we were accustomed to, but still, it allowed us to be up close and personal with a handful of butterflies.  What was really different between the two encounters was that at Marine World, people were there purely as spectators.  In this encounter, each visitor was handed a sponge paint brush that was dipped in nectar so as to attract the butterflies to you.  The interaction was much more hands on and though we were told not to pick the butterflies up with our hands, occasionally they did spontaneously land there. 

 Though the screen house was hot, we spent nearly an hour among the winged delights before heading out to see what the rest of the center had to offer. 

In the section where large birds were kept, we witnessed the feeding of an eagle and a few other birds. 

There is a lake on the property where canoe trips can be scheduled.  We did not canoe, we took in the beauty of the surroundings and enjoyed the myriad of turtles and fish that lived in the lake and were so easy to see. 

We toured the grounds more and found a great event courtyard and covered area as well as a kids play course.  The children had a great time testing their balance and speed skills. 

Testing their balance

We walked along the lake a bit more before we ventured in to the learning center.  There we found informational displays about animals native to the area. 

Carpenter bee houses

Studying bones

Learning about native butterflies

He loves a good microscope

Learning about Raptors

 With the center closing up shop for the day, we said our goodbyes to the staff and the surroundings and decided we would absolutely go back again some day.  Nature quest, complete.  :-)