These pictures were taken in 2 visits to the newly opened
Butterfly Rainforest at the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, FL--once
with a video camera (pulled stills) and once with a digital camera. This gorgeous
permanent exhibit is part of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity--currently
the largest butterfly research facility in the world. The aviary cost $12 million
dollars to build. It's 6,400-square feet and beautifully landscaped.
The circulating butterflies will change throughout the
year. Generally, there are around 55-65 species at any given time. It has been
under construction since 2002 and is well worth a visit.
Some butterflies on this page have names I know, and
some don't. The plants would have been worth the price of admission ($7.50)
even without the butterflies--more bromeliads than I've ever seen in one place,
Nepenthes (climbing pitcher plants), fern trees, bamboo, orchids, lilies, many
others.
