Firstly, I apologize to the non-New Yorkers reading this blog. This is going to be a very New York post. But if you're planning a trip here, you'll get an idea of at least one thing to see, and if you're not planning a trip here, maybe now you will.
Yesterday, my friends and I headed over to the American Museum of Natural History to see the Butterfly Conservatory that began it's annual run on October 8th. The conservatory is a chance to see over 500 tropical butterflies fluttering about and being beautiful when outside the weather is cold and blustery. Unlike most of the museum's exhibits that are composed of dead animals, replicas, or ancient fossils, these butterflies are very much alive and swoop about unconcernedly whilst you desperately try to snap an un-blurry picture.
I have visited the museum twice previously but both times were in the summer when the Conservatory was closed. As a result, I have spent years wanting to see the butterflies but never quite remembering to do so at the right time. Having finally visited, I feel like this might become an annual pilgrimage. It's hard to describe what exactly makes this exhibit so delightful. Once you step into the vivarium you sense that you have left New York City behind. It is a relatively small space, but it is filled with trees and flowers and is swelteringly humid. Everyone's coats came off within 10 seconds of being in that environment, and after about 5 minutes, your face is rather shiny - really, it's like getting a quick facial and I'm sure you sweat out some calories before your visit is done. But this is the environment the butterflies thrive in and the air is full of them. Some are perched on the ceiling and once in a while one of the museum attendants grabs a feather on a stick and gently brushes the butterflies off so that they remember to drink some juice or nectar. Others are greedily slurping at flowers or orange slices, while others hang upside down from leaves and have a quick nap.
There is a riot of color and movement and somehow it never gets boring. The attendants are lovely people and will grab an orange slice in order to lure a butterfly on and then deliver a mini-lecture on the habits of that particular butterfly. There was a Malachite butterfly which likes to sunbathe so will spread open its wings when you bring it closer to a heat lamp but will fold up its wings to retain the heat as you move it to a darker place. A gorgeous Iridescent Morpho butterfly with startling blue patches on its wings flew around restlessly - apparently it flies quickly to avoid being eaten in the wild, and when it closes up its wings, the underside is colored brown and blends in quickly with the surroundings. On the other hand, species like the arresting black-and-white Paper Kite butterflies fly languidly (if at all) and are in no hurry because they are toxic when eaten and are left well alone by predators. Somehow it is immensely enjoyable to learn these facts when you are actually surrounded by these beautiful creatures and can appreciate their evolutionary genius.
Of course the greatest treat of all is getting a butterfly to actually land on you. There were several young children intent on doing just that and some managed to keep their hands still enough to eventually entice a curious butterfly. I tried multiple times and despaired of ever touching one, but finally managed to get one to land on my hand. This is an amusement that never gets old, and deep inside, I think we still carry ancestral genes that make us yearn to commune with Nature in some little way.
The Butterfly Conservatory is a perfect example of an educational experience that is by no means dull. Adults and children alike were captivated by these delicate fluttering animals and it was hard to leave the exhibit. Of course the museum is chock-full of other wonderful exhibits and one can easily spend a few days inside roaming through the hall of dinosaurs, staring up into space, and observing the depths of the ocean. But as winter approaches and life seems more barren, head over to the Butterfly Conservatory and remind yourself that spring is never far behind.
Yesterday, my friends and I headed over to the American Museum of Natural History to see the Butterfly Conservatory that began it's annual run on October 8th. The conservatory is a chance to see over 500 tropical butterflies fluttering about and being beautiful when outside the weather is cold and blustery. Unlike most of the museum's exhibits that are composed of dead animals, replicas, or ancient fossils, these butterflies are very much alive and swoop about unconcernedly whilst you desperately try to snap an un-blurry picture.
I have visited the museum twice previously but both times were in the summer when the Conservatory was closed. As a result, I have spent years wanting to see the butterflies but never quite remembering to do so at the right time. Having finally visited, I feel like this might become an annual pilgrimage. It's hard to describe what exactly makes this exhibit so delightful. Once you step into the vivarium you sense that you have left New York City behind. It is a relatively small space, but it is filled with trees and flowers and is swelteringly humid. Everyone's coats came off within 10 seconds of being in that environment, and after about 5 minutes, your face is rather shiny - really, it's like getting a quick facial and I'm sure you sweat out some calories before your visit is done. But this is the environment the butterflies thrive in and the air is full of them. Some are perched on the ceiling and once in a while one of the museum attendants grabs a feather on a stick and gently brushes the butterflies off so that they remember to drink some juice or nectar. Others are greedily slurping at flowers or orange slices, while others hang upside down from leaves and have a quick nap.
There is a riot of color and movement and somehow it never gets boring. The attendants are lovely people and will grab an orange slice in order to lure a butterfly on and then deliver a mini-lecture on the habits of that particular butterfly. There was a Malachite butterfly which likes to sunbathe so will spread open its wings when you bring it closer to a heat lamp but will fold up its wings to retain the heat as you move it to a darker place. A gorgeous Iridescent Morpho butterfly with startling blue patches on its wings flew around restlessly - apparently it flies quickly to avoid being eaten in the wild, and when it closes up its wings, the underside is colored brown and blends in quickly with the surroundings. On the other hand, species like the arresting black-and-white Paper Kite butterflies fly languidly (if at all) and are in no hurry because they are toxic when eaten and are left well alone by predators. Somehow it is immensely enjoyable to learn these facts when you are actually surrounded by these beautiful creatures and can appreciate their evolutionary genius.
Of course the greatest treat of all is getting a butterfly to actually land on you. There were several young children intent on doing just that and some managed to keep their hands still enough to eventually entice a curious butterfly. I tried multiple times and despaired of ever touching one, but finally managed to get one to land on my hand. This is an amusement that never gets old, and deep inside, I think we still carry ancestral genes that make us yearn to commune with Nature in some little way.
The Butterfly Conservatory is a perfect example of an educational experience that is by no means dull. Adults and children alike were captivated by these delicate fluttering animals and it was hard to leave the exhibit. Of course the museum is chock-full of other wonderful exhibits and one can easily spend a few days inside roaming through the hall of dinosaurs, staring up into space, and observing the depths of the ocean. But as winter approaches and life seems more barren, head over to the Butterfly Conservatory and remind yourself that spring is never far behind.
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