THERE IS A PLACE WHERE VISITORS YEAR AROUND CAN SURROUND THEMSELVES WITH THE
BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY OF A
THOUSAND BUTTERFLIES AS WE
DISCOVER IN THE PEGGY NOTEBAERT
NATURE MUSEUM IN CHICAGO.
BUTTERFLY HAVEN HAS EXISTED SINCE THE MUSEUM OPENED IN 1999. OUR THOUGHT WAS THAT WE REALLY
WANTED TO BRING THIS COMPELLING
VISITOR EXPERIENCE HERE TO THE
CHICAGO AREA.
WE DISPLAYED OVER A THOUSAND BUTTERFLIES FROM NINE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.
AT ANY GIVEN TIME, WE WILL HAVE
BETWEEN 70 AND 90 SPECIES OF
BUTTERFLIES IN THE EXHIBIT.
>>WHEN P PEOPLE COME TO VISIT,
THERE IS A LOT FOR THEM TO SEE
BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS.
OUR MUSEUM REALLY EMBRACES
NATURE IN A WAY THE OLD MUSEUM
COULDN'T WITH ITS THICK GRANITE
WALLS.
WE HAVE A ROOFTOP WALK TO LOOK
OUT INTO THE TREE TOPS.
WE HAVE NATIVE LANDSCAPING
OUTSIDE OF THE MUSEUM
ILLUSTRATING NATURAL HISTORY OF
THE MIDWEST.
INSIDE THE MIDWEST IS IS ECHOED
IN OUR EXEXHIBITS IN WILDERNESS
WALK WHERE YOU CAN WALK IN
DIORAMAS, BEACH AND DO YOU KNOW,
AND PRAIRIES.
THE REAL PHILOSOPHY IN DESIGNING
EXEXHIBITS IS HANDS-ON ROOT WITH
THE FOCUS ALLOWING PEOPLE A
CLOSE AND INTIMATE LOOK AT LIVE
ANIMALS WHERE PEOPLE COULD NOT
HAVE GLASS OR BARS, BUT ACTUALLY
BE ABLE TO BE IN THE SAME
ENVIRONMENT WITH THEM.
A LOT OF THE BUTTERFLIES
ACTUALLY INTERACT WITH THE
WATER. YOU WILL SEE THEM LANDING
ON WET ROCKS AND DRINKING WATER.
IT IS PLANTED WITH TREES AND
SHRUBS AND, IN PARTICULAR,
FLOWERING PLANTS THAT THE
BUTTERFLIES CAN TAKE NECTAR OUT
OF.
BUTTERFLIES HAVE AN ENTIRELY
LIQUID DIET.
INSTEAD OF MOUTH PARTS THE WAY
WE THINK OF THEM, THEY HAVE A
LONG COILED TUBE THAT SITS ON
THE FRONT OF THEIR HEAD.
THEY CAN UNCOIL IT AND INSERT IT
INTO A LIQUID AND VERY
FREQUENTLY THE LIQUID THEY ARE
INSERTING IT TO IS NECTAR AT THE
BASE OF THE FLOWER.
THE BUTTERFLY IS NOT ACTUALLY
ATTEMPTING TO POLLINATE THE
FLOWERS.
IT IS JUST ATTEMPTING TO FEED.
WE ALSO HAVE TRAYS OF VERY, VERY
RIPE KIND OF NASTY FRUIT.
A LOT OF THE BUTTERFLIES REALLY
LIKE OVER RIPED FRUIT.
THEM SIP THE JUICES FROM THEM.
MANY OF THE SPECIES LIKE DOING
THAT ARE FROM THE RAIN FOREST
WHERE IT IS VERY DARK UNDER THE
FOREST CANOPY AND THERE AREN'T A
LOT OF FLOWERS THAT BLOOM.
THEY USE THINGS LIKE SAP FROM
TREES, AND JUICE FROM OVER RIPE
FRUIT WHICH IS WHAT WE FEED
THEM.
>> AS YOU EXIT THE GREENHOUSE
SPACE WITH THE LIVING
BUTTERFLIES IN IT, YOU WILL
ENTER AN AREA TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT THE LIVES OF BUTTERFLIES.
WE HAVE DISPLAYS ABOUT MET MORE
FI SIS.
YOU CAN LOOK AT A CASE OF
MOUNTED SPECIMENS OF BUTTERFLIES
AND HOW TO TELL A BUTTERFLY FROM
A MOTH.
BUTTERFLIES BEGIN THEIR LIVES AS
EGGS.
THE EGG HATCHES AND THE
CATERPILLAR BEGINS FEEDING ON
THE LEAVES OF THE PLANTS THAT IT
WAS LAID ON.
CATERPILLARS ARE REALLY ALL
ABOUT EATING AND GROWING.
IN FACT, IF YOU WERE TO GROW A
HUMAN AT THE SAME RATE A
CATERPILLAR GROWS, A BABY WOULD
BE COMPLETELY DEVELOPED IN ABOUT
THREE WEEKS AND WOULD BE THE
SIZE OF A SCHOOL BUS.
PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM HAS THE MISSION OF INSPIRING AND EDUCATING PEOPLE ABOUT SCIENCE
PARTICULARLY ABOUT NATURE IN THE
MIDWEST.
IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO COME TO
REALLY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE
LINK BETWEEN OUR HUMAN HABITAT
AND THE NATURE AND WILDLIFE THAT
SURROUNDS US.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PEGGY NOTEBAERT NATURE MUSEUM, LOG ON TO THEIR WEB SITE AT
WWW.CHIAS.ORG OR CALL
(773)755-5100.