Nature Net News
July
2007
Butterflies
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's
going to be a butterfly."
R. Buckminster Fuller
Dear Reader, A flit of color sparkling through the sky, butterflies create a rainbow of excitement on a sunny summer day. Yellow, orange and blue, these dainty-looking travelers are not only beautiful, they work hard and play an important role in the ecosystem. Humans have long been interested in these graceful creatures. They only live a matter of days to weeks, but imagine the joy they bring to our lives during that short period. Learn more about butterflies and their biology in this month's issue of Nature Net News and be sure to visit Olbrich Botanical Gardens to catch a glimpse of butterflies emerging from their chrysalises during the "Blooming Butterflies" event, or stroll the gardens for your very own view of sparkling color in the sky. Kathe & Betsy |
Butterflies need the sun to fly? Being cold-blooded, butterflies cannot take to flight until their wings (specifically their thoracic flight muscles) are warmed - that's why you often see them basking in the sun.
What to Do This Month:
Plant
nectar-producing flowers in your yard to attract butterflies.
Adopt a virtual butterfly to learn about metamorphosis and the butterfly life-cycle.
Then, get out there to observe local butterflies.
Check out the Nature Net Calendar of Events for fun family programs.
And, don't forget to pick up a Nature Passport at your favorite Nature Net site (now available in Spanish).
Tricks of the Trail for Parents:
Butterfly Browsing
A successful butterfly hike involves the right weather, good
timing, the right attitude and a little bit of luck! These
delicate insects are attracted to the colors red, yellow, orange, pink,
or purple (and they can
see ultraviolet), so find places where there might be flowers of these colors
or wear them yourself! Find a spot and settle in. If
patience is in short supply, pack a butterfly book or small plastic
butterfly model (available in hobby stores) in your backpack. Look
at the coloration; discuss the
parts of the butterfly. If you were
a butterfly, where would you land and why?
Instant Outdoor Expert:
Metamorphosis Marvel
Many of us learn at an early age that the
leaf-munching caterpillar found in the local park will one day stop
eating, create a chrysalis, and later emerge as a butterfly. A
remarkable process, indeed, but what actually occurs inside the
chrysalis has long mystified and amazed scientists and casual observers alike.
With a deceptively still outward appearance, the chrysalis has the very big
task of breaking down the caterpillar's body and literally rebuilding
the cellular material into a butterfly. Through a process called
'histolysis', enzymes similar to digestive juices breakdown the
caterpillar's organic tissue into a liquid. Several small groups of
cells remain intact through this process and play an important roll in
the next, regenerative part of the metamorphosis. These special
groups of cells are called 'imaginal buds', and each one, when triggered, builds and differentiates the various tissues needed to create a
butterfly - wings, a digestive system, nervous system, legs, etc. This 'histogenesis'
process is one of nature's amazing feats and occurs throughout the
natural world, including during our own development.
Find out more about this incredible process from
Journey North which also offers a slideshow of a caterpillar
forming into
a chrysalis.
Eco-Exercise:
Butterfly Burst-Out
A butterfly’s life is one of the most amazing
processes in nature. Reenacting its life stages is a great
exercise.
1. Curl up like a small egg.
2. Begin to stretch like the small caterpillar which will emerge from the
egg.
3. Inch around the ground like a caterpillar as it eats leaves and grows
larger.
4. Stop and spin yourself into a cocoon. While in your cocoon, pretend
you’re transforming into a butterfly.
5. Break free from your cocoon and pump your newfound butterfly wings.
6. Fly away, little butterfly!
Featured Nature Net Site
Nature Craft
Olbrich
Botanical Gardens
Discover rare tropical treasures hidden in the heart of Madison at Olbrich Gardens' "Blooming
Butterflies" beginning July 18th! Experience the wonder of
searching through a tropical rain forest for live butterflies emerging from chrysalises in the Bolz Conservatory. The
dainty painted lady, the exquisite swallowtail, the tropical zebra
butterflies, and many others float through the lush greenery
feeding on nectar of bright flowers. Up to two dozen species
of butterflies, native to both Wisconsin and tropical areas of the
southern United States, can be seen at various times during the
exhibit. Plus, search through the outdoor gardens to find butterflies in their natural
habitat with a "Butterfly Passport" and earn a free scoop of custard.
Or, take home ideas about how to attract butterflies to your own backyard gardens.
Hours:
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Admission to Blooming Butterflies:
$5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-12, and
free to ages 2 and under. Members of the
Olbrich Botanical Society are admitted free of charge.
For more information visit
Olbrich's "Blooming Butterflies" website.
Butterfly
Flutter-by
Bring vibrant butterflies into your home or yard with this simple craft.
Using
old magazines destined for the recycle bin, you can create
butterflies in as many color combinations as found in nature.
For each butterfly, choose 2 colorful magazine pages and cut out 2
squares, one that is 5 inches on a side, the other 4 inches.
Starting at one corner, accordion-fold the squares on their diagonals, using about
a 1/4 inch fold.
Pinch the center of each folded square. Bend a 12-inch pipe cleaner in
half and twist to create a small loop (this will be the butterfly's
abdomen). Arrange the squares as the butterfly's wings, centered inside the pipe cleaner.
To secure the wings, twist the pipe cleaner above and below the wings
and curl the ends for antennae.
(Nature Craft adapted from FamilyFun.com)
Suggested Reading:
"Gotta Go! Gotta Go!" by Sam Swope (age 3-7)
"Clara Caterpillar" by Pamela Duncan Edwards (age 3-5)
"From Egg to Butterfly" by Shannon Zemlicka (age 4-8)
"How to Hide a Butterfly" by Ruth Heller (age 4-8)
"Butterfly Butterfly: A Book of Colors" by Petr Horacek (age 4-8)
"Butterfly House" by Eve Bunting (age 5-8)
"Butterflies in the Garden" by Carol Lerner (age 5-9)
"The Butterfly Seeds" by Mary Watson (age 5-9)
"The Girl Who Loved Caterpillars" by Jean Merril (age 7-12)
"An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly" by Laurence
Pringel (age 9-12)
