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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Kate Gorrie Butterfly House

The Kate Gorrie Butterfly House in the Stony Brook Watershed in Hopewell, NJ is one of those fun hidden treasures in our area. The entire Watershed is a great place to bring children to learn about nature. The Butterfly House feels like an oasis.

The day we went it was raining, which means the smart butterflies were hiding to keep their wings dry. A few others popped out. We knew this going into it, but we had just learned about their Monday morning talks and decided to give it a try.

I'm so glad we did. Our guide (whose name escapes me -- Katie?) gave us an enthusiastic talk about butterflies. She answered all sorts of questions from us and the other family in our group including one that has bothered me. If butterflies only live for about 3 weeks, how do they make the journey South to Mexico and back North to lay their eggs for the next generation?

Our naturalist said every few generations of butterflies produces a super strength of butterfly that lives for 7-8 months -- long enough to make the journey and return part of the way to lay eggs. Nature is amazing.

Listening to her talk I was thinking about a children's book I read recently called the "Prince of Butterflies" (http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/The-Giverny-Award-for-Childrens-Science-Picture-Books/378) by Bruce Coville. An inspirational tale of how a child's life can be changed by nature. 

A few more comments about the place:
  • The entire garden is filled with native plants
  • It is open from dawn to dusk every day and is open to the public
  • It is open from June until October when the netting is opened and the butterflies are free to leave
  • All butterflies are tagged (as part of a national tagging system) before they are released
  • The caterpillars are brought inside to have a chance to change in a safer environment, and to make it easier for people to watch the life cycle happening live
The nature center is also free to visit and a great place to go with kids, even on rainy days. Trails are open to the public and are also free to use.

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