Butterfly World
Encyclopedia
Butterfly World is located in Tradewinds Park, Coconut Creek, Florida
, USA. It opened in 1988, and is the largest butterfly park
in the world, and the first park of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The facility houses around 5000 live butterflies.
), he decided to create his own facility in Florida. Boender and Ferrell entered into partnership and started planning the facility, which was to be a public attraction, but also a research facility and a butterfly farm.
Butterfly World opened on March 28, 1988. Since then it has expanded to include the largest free flight humminbird aviary in the United States, a Lorikeet Encounter, and an aviculture
research center.
Grace Gardens is an outdoor botanical garden with flowering tropical plants. Also on the property is one of the largest collections of flowering Passion Flower
vines in the world, in the Wings of the World Secret Garden. The Jewels of the Sky Aviary is where hummingbirds and other birds can be seen.
The Museum/Insectarium features exhibits of mounted specimens of beetles, scorpions, butterflies, moths
and other insects. The Bug Zoo displays live insects including water bugs, spiders, wasps, walkingsticks and mantids.
Visitors can view the laboratory where the butterflies are raised and can see the different stages including eggs, caterpillar
and pupa
.
to Southern Florida.
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA. It opened in 1988, and is the largest butterfly park
Butterfly zoo
A butterfly zoo, or butterfly house, is a zoo which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies. Some butterfly houses also feature other insects, spiders, scorpions, etc.- History :...
in the world, and the first park of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. The facility houses around 5000 live butterflies.
History
After retiring from a career as electrical engineer, Robert Boender started raising butterflies and their food plants in his home in Florida. In 1984 he established MetaScience to help supply farmed butterflies to zoos and universities. After having visited England in 1985, where he met Clive Farrell (founder and owner of the London Butterfly HouseLondon Butterfly House
The London Butterfly House was a visitor attraction in Brentford, Middlesex, England where the public could view butterflies, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and arachnids....
), he decided to create his own facility in Florida. Boender and Ferrell entered into partnership and started planning the facility, which was to be a public attraction, but also a research facility and a butterfly farm.
Butterfly World opened on March 28, 1988. Since then it has expanded to include the largest free flight humminbird aviary in the United States, a Lorikeet Encounter, and an aviculture
Aviculture
Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds and the culture that forms around it. Aviculture is generally focused on not only the raising and breeding of birds, but also on preserving avian habitat, and public awareness campaigns....
research center.
Exhibits
The Paradise Adventure Aviary includes fountains with ponds, and butterflies. Next is the Hanging Garden & Butterfly Emerging Area where cases with hanging pupa and emerging butterflies are on display. The Tropical Rain Forest Aviary includes a waterfall, tropical plants, free flying birds and butterflies.Grace Gardens is an outdoor botanical garden with flowering tropical plants. Also on the property is one of the largest collections of flowering Passion Flower
Passion flower
Passiflora, known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, the namesakes of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly vines, with some being shrubs, and a few species being herbaceous. For information about the fruit of the passiflora...
vines in the world, in the Wings of the World Secret Garden. The Jewels of the Sky Aviary is where hummingbirds and other birds can be seen.
The Museum/Insectarium features exhibits of mounted specimens of beetles, scorpions, butterflies, moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
and other insects. The Bug Zoo displays live insects including water bugs, spiders, wasps, walkingsticks and mantids.
Visitors can view the laboratory where the butterflies are raised and can see the different stages including eggs, caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
and pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
.
Conservation
Passiflora Society International was established at Butterfly World to encourage research on and help share information about passion flowers, which are the source of food for many butterflies. Butterfly World has also helped establish the Boender Endangered Species Laboratory at the University of Florida, which is helping reintroduce the Schaus swallowtailPapilio aristodemus
Papilio aristodemus, commonly known as Schaus' Swallowtail, is a species of American butterfly in the Papilionidae family. It is found in the southern Florida with subspecies in the Bahamas, Hispaniola, and Cuba. Historically it occurred in tropical hardwood hammock from South Miami to Lower...
to Southern Florida.