Bugs et al.

Yesterday, we all went to the Butterfly Conservatory and Insectarium at the Museum of Life and Science right here in our very own Durham! Of course, leave it to the out-of-town(er), my sister, to find activities for kids right around our corner, when I live here and I had no clue they existed. :-D

Well, the butterfly conservatory was by far the coolest. Not literally, because this place is enclosed in a huge green-house looking building that is kept at 80 F (28C) and 80% humidity year-round (kinda like the tropics). Just the day we decide to go out, though, it was absolutely freezing! We couldn't wait to thaw out in the warm environment of the BC and even watched new butterflies released (occurs every day around 3pm I think).


Carmel even got to hold a butterfly as it was being let go. Precious :-D

I enjoyed the butterflies too, especially since there were so many of them, and they flew in pairs or groups all around you and even land on you briefly! But what really interested me were the many different types of plants and butterfly-attracting flowers, vines and foliage. And there were these really colourful and unique birds (pheasants?) that would trot in and out of the low lying plants and into the foot path where we were walking and back into the dense foliage.

Then there was the Insectarium, where we saw mantids, thorny woody insects, brilliantly coloured (poisonous?) frogs, water striders, water beetles, rhino beetle, assasin beetles, tarantulas, hissing cockroaches, scorpions and many others. Fun!

I am thinking I will purchase a membership for Ethan and I for the year, and make regular trips to the Museum of Life and Science. They also had an Aerosspace section, and also an outdoor animal farm among the activities they offer.