GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Discover the importance of pollinators at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s sixth annual ButterflyFest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 22-23.

Festival visitors may enjoy free presentations on area hummingbirds, bats in the Caribbean, the practice of eating insects and hear keynote speaker and Harvard lepidopterist Naomi Pierce.

An outdoor children’s area will provide younger visitors the opportunity to stay active while participating in fun, educational activities about pollinators.

“The new outdoor children’s activity area is going to be a great place for children to learn about butterflies and different pollinators while playing games and interacting with each other,” said Florida Museum education assistant Amanda Erickson.

A three-day plant sale beginning Friday, Oct. 21 features more than 100 species of accent, host, native and nectar plants, with museum employees and volunteers available to offer advice on butterfly gardening and plant selection. Visitors may also enjoy free activities like butterfly bingo, crafts, costume creation, a pollinator parade and more.

Area nonprofit organizations scheduled to offer engaging activities include the Alachua County Beekeepers Club, Lubee Bat Conservancy, Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo and the Southern Lepidopterists’ Society.

Area groups on the activity schedule include the Howard Bishop Middle School Band, the University of Florida juggling club Objects in Motion and the Isle of Skye Highland Dance Studio.

The museum will also offer a behind-the-scenes tour of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity and a “Picture Perfect: Rainforest Photography” workshop. Pre-registration is required for both activities.

The behind-the-scenes tour takes visitors into the research areas to see one of the world’s largest collections of butterflies and moths. Participants must be 8 or older. The cost is $40 for museum members and $45 for non-members.

“Picture Perfect-Rainforest Photography” allows participants to take pictures in the Butterfly Rainforest using tripods or other photography equipment not usually permitted in the exhibit. Participants must be 18 or older. The cost is $25 for museum members and $28 for non-members.

Keynote speaker Pierce plans to discuss her research proving Vladimir Nabokov’s theory that Polyammatus blues originated in Asia and traveled to North America via the Bering Strait. She also proved that this group of butterfly species arrived in North America in five separate waves.

Admission to the museum and ButterflyFest presentations and activities are free. There is an admission fee for the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Food, merchandise and other vendors may charge for their services. The museum does not have an ATM, so visitors are encouraged to bring cash if they would like to purchase items from vendors. Rainforest admission may be paid via cash, credit card or debit card.

ButterflyFest is sponsored by The Gainesville Sun and Cox Communications.

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Source: Amanda Harvey (Amanda Erickson), 352-273-2062, aerickson@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

ButterflyFest Activity Schedule
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 21-23

Fri. Oct. 21
10 a.m.-5 p.m. -Plant Sale

Sat. Oct. 22
8:30-9:30 a.m.
-Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee)
-McGuire Behind-the-Scenes Tour

10 a.m.-5 p.m.
-Plant Sale
-Pollinator Costume Creation
-Butterfly Hop
-Bean Bag Toss
-Nonprofit Organization Family Activities
-Sack Races
-Pollinator Challenge
-Vendors

10:30-11 a.m. -Pollinator Photography Contest Award Ceremony

11 a.m. -Gainesville Suziki Players

11:30 a.m. -Pollinator Parade
-Butterfly Bingo

12:30-1:15 p.m.
-The Butterflies and Moths of Japan: Japanese Culture, Collecting and Research

1 p.m. -Butterfly Release

1:30 p.m.
-Keynote Speaker Naomi Pierce: Nabokov’s Blues: Cradle-robbing, meat eating, and ant-loving caterpillars
-Isle of Skye Highland Dance Studio

2 p.m. -Pollinator Parade

2:30 p.m.
-The Sedoctaves
-Butterfly Bingo

3:15-4 p.m. -Moon Tan: Exploring the Patterns of Distribution of Caribbean Island bats

3:30 p.m. -Butterfly Release

Sun. Oct. 23
8:30-9:30 a.m.
-McGuire Behind-the-Scenes Tour (fee)
-Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee)

10 a.m.-5 p.m.
-Plant Sale
-Pollinator Costume Creation
-Butterfly Hop
-Bean Bag Toss
-Nonprofit Organization Family Activities
-Sack Races
-Pollinator Challenge
-Vendors

11:30 a.m.
-Pollinator Parade
-Butterfly Bingo

1 p.m. -Butterfly Release

1:30 p.m.
-Objects in Motion
-Hummingbird occurrences around Gainesville – beyond the Ruby-throated

2 p.m. -Pollinator Parade

2:30 p.m.
-Howard Bishop Middle School Band
-Butterfly Bingo

3:15-3:45 p.m. -Entomophagy

3:30 p.m. -Butterfly Release

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History is accepting entries today through Sept. 9 for the third annual Pollinator Photography Contest. Winners will be announced Oct. 22 at the sixth annual ButterflyFest.

The national contest seeks to promote awareness of local pollinators through photography. All entries must include at least one pollinator, such as a bat, bee, bird, butterfly or moth.

Entry forms are available online at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest and at the Florida Museum of Natural History visitor services desk. Completed entries may be submitted in person at the museum or The Gainesville Sun, which is sponsoring the contest, or mailed to: Florida Museum Pollinator Photography Contest, P.O. Box 112710 Gainesville, FL 32611, or The Gainesville Sun, 2700 S.W. 13th St., Gainesville, FL 32608.

The contest offers two categories: adult, ages 18 and older; and junior, ages 10-17. Individuals may submit a maximum of three entries, which are $10 per photograph for the adult category and $8 per photograph for the junior category.

First- and second-place winners in each category will receive cash prizes and third-place winners will receive Butterfly Rainforest tickets. Winning entries and honorable mentions will be published in The Gainesville Sun on Oct. 23 and featured on the ButterflyFest website. The museum will also display winning photographs through Nov. 30 in its Central Gallery.

“The contest is an opportunity to showcase the talent of the lovers of bees, birds, butterflies and other pollinators and to possibly discover a hidden jewel,” said Florida Museum audiovisual coordinator Jeff Gage, who will serve as a contest judge.

Judges will select winning entries based on the depiction of the pollinator in its natural setting, the clarity, focus and attractiveness of the image and whether the photo was received or postmarked within the designated timeframe, between Aug. 22 and Sept. 9.

“Our environment produces photographic challenges and opportunities for all skill levels, so the judges are excited to see what images participants can capture,” Gage said.

For more information about the ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest, email photo-office@flmnh.ufl.edu or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm.

ButterflyFest is dedicated to increasing awareness of Florida’s butterflies as fun, fascinating ambassadors to the natural world. Event activities and presentations promote inquiry and provide a call to action for the conservation and preservation of backyard wildlife and habitats.

This year’s keynote speaker is Naomi Pierce, curator of Lepidoptera at the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology. Pierce’s research focuses on the biodiversity and evolution of insects, especially butterflies and their symbionts, or the organisms they have a relationship with, as well as behavioral ecology.

Through her research, Pierce recently proved Vladimir Nabokov’s theory that Polyammatus blues originated in Asia and traveled to North America via the Bering Strait. She also proved that this group of butterfly species arrived in North America in five separate waves.

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Source: Jeff Gage, 352-273-2038, jgage@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Alyssa Wang
Media contact:  Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

ButterflyFest is dedicated to increasing awareness of Florida’s butterflies as fun, fascinating ambassadors to the natural world. Event activities and presentations promote inquiry and provide a call to action for the conservation and preservation of backyard wildlife and habitats.

“We are extremely excited to have Dr. Pierce as our keynote speaker this year,” said Jaret Daniels, Florida Museum assistant director of exhibits and public programs. “Not only is her research groundbreaking, but she speaks of her work with tremendous passion; a joyous intensity that can’t help but spark your interest.”

Pierce’s research focuses on the biodiversity and evolution of insects, especially butterflies and their symbionts, or the organisms they have a relationship with, as well as behavioral ecology.

Through her research, Pierce recently proved Vladimir Nabokov’s theory that Polyammatus blues originated in Asia and traveled to North America via the Bering Strait. She also proved that this group of butterfly species arrived in North America in five separate waves.

Before she began teaching at Harvard in 1990, Pierce was a research lecturer at Christ Church College at Oxford University, a researcher in the university’s department of zoology and an assistant and associate professor at Princeton University. She earned her bachelor’s in biology at Yale University and her doctorate in biology at Harvard.

Pierce has received numerous awards, including a Fulbright Fellowship and MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. She is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Senior Fellow of the Harvard Society of Fellows.

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Source: Jaret Daniels, 352-273-2022, jdaniels@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Alyssa Wang
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Save the date to celebrate wings and backyard things at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s sixth annual ButterflyFest Oct. 22 and 23.

The free event includes tagged Monarch releases, plant sales, special presentations and much more.

“ButterflyFest is the museum’s signature event,” said Jaret Daniels, Florida Museum assistant director of exhibits and public programs. “We hope visitors will have a fun experience and learn something about pollinators and their importance to the environment and humans.”

Last year, more than 5,400 people interacted with local non-profit organizations, listened to presentations from Monarch Watch Director Chip Taylor and participated in hands-on activities during the two-day festival.

“This year, in addition to highlighting pollinators, we will highlight the importance of biodiversity,” said Florida Museum educator coordinator Kendra Lanza-Kaduce. “We plan to showcase the work of various museum research collections to illustrate the importance of all life on earth.”

The museum will also host the third annual Pollinator Photography Contest, which promotes awareness of local pollinators. Photos must include at least one pollinator, (bat, bee, bird, butterfly or moth) and entries must be received between Aug. 22 and Sept. 9.

Winning photographs will appear in The Gainesville Sun and on the ButterflyFest website, and will be displayed in the museum.

The contest, which had more than 120 entries last year, is divided into two categories: adult, ages 18 and older; and junior, ages 10-17. First- and second-place winners in each category will receive cash prizes and third-place winners will receive Butterfly Rainforest tickets.

For more information about the ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest, sponsored by The Gainesville Sun, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm or call 352-273-2061.

Admission to the museum and ButterflyFest presentations and activities are free. There is an admission fee for the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Food, merchandise and other vendors will also be at the festival and may charge for their services. The museum does not have an ATM machine, so visitors are encouraged to bring cash if they would like to purchase items from vendors. Rainforest admission may be paid via cash, credit card or debit card.

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Source: Jaret Daniels, 352-273-2022, jdaniels@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Jon Sund of Green Cove Springs and Miranda Bennett of Archer received top honors in this year’s ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest. The winners were announced Saturday (Oct. 23) during an awards presentation at the Florida Museum of Natural History’s fifth annual ButterflyFest.

Sund, who won first place in the adult category for his photo, “Looks Good,” and Bennett, who won first place in the junior category for her photo, “Can you see me?” both received cash prizes.

The museum will display the winning photographs in its Central Gallery through Nov. 30 and online on the ButterflyFest website www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm. Contest sponsor The Gainesville Sun published the winning photographs in the newspaper Oct. 24.

More than 70 photographers from three states submitted over 120 entries for the second annual contest.

In the adult division, open to ages 18 and older, Paul Morris of Micanopy won second place for his photo, “Moth Pollinating Moon Flower,” and Bridget Lanier of Bradenton won third place for “Pollin Cameo.” Orlando resident Stephen Presutti received honorable mention for “Eye on the Prize.”

In the junior division, open to ages 10-17, Collin Kane of Gainesville won second place for “Bumble We Go,” and Trey Lanier of Bradenton won third place for his untitled photo. Elena Newman of Gainesville won honorable mention for “Milkweed Feeder.”

Volunteer judges for the competition were Andrei Sourakov, Florida Museum of Natural History Lepidoptera collections manager; Ryan Fessenden, Butterfly Rainforest production assistant; and Kristen Grace, a Florida Museum photographer who also works for Randy Batista Photography.

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Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Photos available

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The fifth annual ButterflyFest at the Florida Museum of Natural History from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday features free, interactive presentations and activities the entire family will enjoy.

Visitors can listen to presentations about Project Butterfly WINGS, Honduran butterflies and moths, the Monarch Watch organization, worldwide honey bee decline and the migratory patterns of Monarchs. Gardening activities and wildflower walks as well as live butterfly releases will also be offered.

Younger visitors can enjoy arts and crafts, create their own pollinator costumes and participate in a “Pollinator Parade” through the museum. Non-profit organizations will also provide child-friendly activities.

The museum will host a butterfly-friendly plant sale and museum staff will be available to help visitors pick the perfect native nectar, host and accent plants for their gardens. All proceeds from the sale benefit the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Danscompany of Gainesville, Howard Bishop Middle School Band, Objects in Motion, the University of Florida juggling club and The Sedoctives, UF’s all-female a cappella group, will perform during the festival.

Winners of the photography contest will be announced Oct. 23. Winning photos are scheduled to run in the Oct. 24 edition of The Gainesville Sun, which sponsored the contest. Other ButterflyFest sponsors include Cox Communications and GRU.

Fee-based workshops, field trips and tours that require pre-registration are also available. Workshops include: “Painting Butterflies and Moths” with award-winning artist Mindy Lighthipe, “Monarch Tagging” with keynote speaker Chip R. Taylor, “Picture-Perfect Rainforest Photography,” “Advanced Butterfly Garden Design” and a “Butterfly Rearing Workshop.” Visitors can also participate in a fieldtrip to Paynes Prairie to explore native wildlife or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity.

The McGuire Center is the world’s largest Lepidoptera research and education facility and houses one of the world’s largest collections of butterflies and moths at more than 9 million specimens. Participants may register online at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest or by calling 352-273-2062.

ButterflyFest is dedicated to increasing awareness of Florida’s butterflies as fun, fascinating ambassadors to the natural world. Presentations, arts and crafts, workshops, field trips and tours will promote inquiry and provide a call to action for the conservation and preservation of backyard wildlife and habitats.

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Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact:  Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

ButterflyFest Activity Schedule
10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Oct. 23 -24

Fri. Oct. 22

8-11 a.m. Water and Wildlife field trip (fee based)

1-3 p.m. & 3-5 p.m. Monarch tagging workshop (fee based)

Sat. Oct. 23

8:30-9:30 a.m. Butterflies Behind-the-Scenes Tour (fee based)

8:30-9:30 a.m. Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee based)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pollinator Costume Creation

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ButterflyFest Craft

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Non-profit Organization Family Activities

10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Potted Butterfly Garden Activity

10:30-11 a.m. Pollinator Photography Contest Award Ceremony

11:30 a.m. – noon Butterfly Identification Bingo

11:30 a.m. Pollination Parade

12:30-1:15 p.m. Biodiversity of Butterflies and Moths of Honduras by McGuire Center Director Thomas Emmel and McGuire Center Lepidoptera Curator Jacqueline Miller

1-1:15 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

1:30 p.m. Objects in Motion (live performance)

1:30-2:30 p.m. Monarch Watch presentation by keynote speaker Chip Taylor

2 p.m. Pollination Parade

2:30-3 p.m. Butterfly Identification Bingo

2:30 p.m. Danscompany of Gainesville (live performance)

2:30-3:30 p.m. Advanced Butterfly Garden Design Workshop (fee based)

3:15-4 p.m. Worldwide Honeybee Decline presentation by Wayne “Chappie” McChesney

3:30 -3:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

Wildflower walks occur every hour on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and last for 20 minutes

Sunday Oct. 24

8:30-9:30 a.m. Butterflies Behind-the-Scenes Tour (fee based)

8:30-9:30 a.m. Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee based)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pollinator Costume Creation

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ButterflyFest Craft

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Non-profit Organization Family Activities

10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Potted Butterfly Garden Activity

11:30 a.m. – noon Butterfly Identification Bingo

11:30 a.m. Pollination Parade

12:30-12:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

1 p.m. Sedoctives (live performance)

1:30-2:30 p.m. Migratory Patterns of the Monarch presentation by Chip Taylor

2 p.m. Pollination Parade

2:30-3:30 p.m. Butterfly Rearing Workshop (fee based)

2:30-3:00 p.m. Butterfly Identification Bingo

3 p.m. Howard Bishop Middle School Band (live performance)

3:30-3:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

Wildflower walks occur every hour on the hour from 11 a.m.to 4 p.m. and last for 20 minutes.

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Orley “Chip” Taylor, founder and director of the national Monarch Watch program and University of Kansas professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, will give presentations both days.

From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Taylor will discuss the Monarch Watch program, which he founded in 1992. From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 24, he will present “Migratory Patterns of the Monarch,” including information on how destruction of the Monarch’s habitat and natural resources is affecting its migration.

“I have been studying the effects of climate on Monarch populations for several years and climate change really has me worried,” said Taylor, who has also studied African bees, or killer bees, in French Guiana, Venezuela and Mexico. “Higher temperatures are likely to negatively affect Monarch populations by reducing reproductive success, and altering the distribution and abundance of milkweed plant species which Monarch caterpillars depend on for food and shelter.”

Monarch Watch focuses on the education, research and conservation of Monarch butterflies. With the help of volunteers nationwide, Taylor has been tagging Monarchs during their fall migration for the past 18 years.

In response to the rapid decline of Monarch habitats, Taylor created the Monarch Waystation program in 2006. It was created to inspire schools, gardeners and others to create Monarch habitats. Taylor also will discuss the incredible migration Monarchs make every fall from Canada through the central and southern U.S. to hibernation sites in central Mexico, where they spend the cold winter months.

In addition to Taylor’s presentations, ButterflyFest offers something for everyone. Throughout the weekend, all ages can participate in fun and educational activities, including live butterfly releases, take-away crafts for children, informative workshops, and presentations on conservation and attracting butterflies and other pollinators. Participants also may shop for butterfly-friendly plants or unique butterfly and garden gifts or take part in a special field trip or tour.

ButterflyFest admission and parking are free. Regular ticket prices apply to the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, and special ButterflyFest tours and workshops are fee-based. For more festival information or to register for tours and workshops, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu./butterflyfest or call 352-273-2064.

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Writer: Patti Nunez
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The contest is open to residents with gardens in Alachua, Levy and Marion counties and all communities within The Villages. Initial judging will be based on garden photos and the written entry application, followed by site visits to the top gardens. Entries must be received Aug. 23-Sept. 10. An application and contest rules are available online, www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/garden_contest.htm.

“The popularity of butterfly gardening has really taken off in the past few years and because creating a habitat for pollinators is part of the ButterflyFest mission, holding a contest just seemed like a natural progression for the museum,” said Butterfly Rainforest assistant manager Jeff Hansen.

The contest allows participants to contribute to the mission and goals of the festival by fostering a pollinator-friendly environment in their own backyards, schools, neighborhoods and communities. It is designed for amateur gardeners and divided into two categories: small gardens (up to 1,000 square feet)) and large gardens (larger than 1,000 square feet up to 40,000 square feet). Contest winners will be announced during ButterflyFest, with grand-prize and first-prize winners in each category receiving cash prizes and credit to the Florida Museum weekend plant sale. The museum also will display photos of the winning gardens during ButterflyFest and online for one year.

The museum will also hold its second annual ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest. Photos must include at least one pollinator, (bat, bee, bird, butterfly or moth) and entries must be submitted Aug. 23 – Sept. 10. The winning photos will appear in the Gainesville Sun and be displayed at the Florida Museum and on the ButterflyFest website. The contest is divided into two categories, adults, ages 18 and older, and junior, ages 10-17. First-place winners in each category will receive cash awards and prize packages will be given to second- and third-place winners. For more information on the ButterflyFest photo contest, sponsored by The Gainesville Sun, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm.

ButterflyFest activities include live butterfly releases, presentations, gardening workshops, family-oriented activities and more. This year’s festival features keynote speaker Chip Taylor, director of the national Monarch Watch program and University of Kansas entomology professor.

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Source: Jeff Hansen, 352-273-1898, jhansen@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Vilma Jarvinen
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Lisa Britz and Bridget Lanier won first place awards in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s inaugural ButterflyFest Pollinator Photography Contest. Britz, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., won the adult category for her photo “Pollen Plunge.” Lanier, of Bradenton, captured the top spot in the junior category for “A Buzzy Pollinator.”

The Florida Museum announced the winners Oct. 24 during an awards presentation at this year’s ButterflyFest. The museum will display the winning photographs in the Central Gallery through Nov. 30 and online on the ButterflyFest web site, www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/photo_contest.htm. The Gainesville Sun also published the winning photographs in the newspaper Oct. 25 as part of its Gainesville.com sponsorship of the contest.

Nearly 90 photographers from Florida and other states submitted more than 200 entries in the competition.

Val Oppenheim and Brian Denny won second and third place, respectively, in the adult category, while Collin Kane and Joshua Martindale placed second and third in the junior division. Dan Rountree (adult) and Karlee Hawkins (junior) were awarded honorable mentions.

Britz was awarded $100 for her photograph, and Lanier received $75. Second and third place winners received museum gift shop certificates and Butterfly Rainforest exhibit annual passes. Honorable mention winners received a museum gift bag.

University of Florida News Bureau photographer Ray Carson, Santa Fe College photography professor Ray Hale and Gainesville Sun video and photojournalist Tricia Coyne served as volunteer judges.

Editors: Story can end here.

“I love photos of butterflies, and I’ve entered a few photo contests before, but this is my first prize in awhile,” said second place winner Oppenheim. “I’m very excited to win an award for my photo.”

Oppenheim said she has been a photographer for 35 years and has worked to refine her skills with a digital camera for the last 10 years

Junior category honorable mention winner Hawkins said she enjoys taking pictures of butterflies, flowers, her sister and her puppy. She applied knowledge about color saturation in digital photographs that she learned through a school science project to compose her winning image.

“It only took one shot to get the butterfly picture I wanted,” Hawkins said.

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2009 ButterflyFest Pollinator Photo Contest Winners:

Adult Category
1st Place – Lisa Britz (Lee’s Summit, Mo.)
2nd Place – Val Oppenheim (Gainesville)
3rd Place – Brian Denny (Gainesville)
Honorable Mention – Dan Rountree (Gainesville)

Junior Category
1st Place – Bridget Lanier (Bradenton)
2nd Place – Collin Kane (Gainesville)
3rd Place –Joshua Martindale (Buford, Ga.)
Honorable Mention – Karlee Hawkins (Newberry)

Writer: Patti Nunez
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The indoor butterfly and moth exhibits help visitors better understand the scientific value of the collections and the cutting-edge biological research that occurs in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. The center holds one of the world’s largest butterfly and moth collections at more than 9 million specimens.

“In highlighting our research for the public, we hope to inspire young people to get involved in science,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director of exhibits. “These informative and interactive butterfly exhibits will make learning about butterflies and moths easier and even more fun.”

The McGuire Center is the world’s largest Lepidoptera education and research facility, and scientists in the center’s labs work to save imperiled butterflies from extinction, define unknown species, and understand butterfly and moth genetic history and relationships.

At the Butterfly Rainforest Rearing Lab, visitors can view panels with text, pictures and objects explaining where the butterflies are farmed and how they are shipped and arrive at the museum.

When a scientist is in the lab, visitors may ask questions and receive instant answers using the new two-way intercom system. The lab’s new pupae display cases are made of acrylic, making them easier to clean, more secure against parasites and visually more appealing to the public. Photos displayed in the cases identify the pupae and adult butterflies. Visitors may also flip through a hands-on butterfly field guide located outside the lab that highlights the different live butterfly species displayed in the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Other new viewing stations located throughout the McGuire Center include interactive reading panels and displays in front of labs focusing on collections, special projects, imaging, DNA and morphology.

The exhibits are free, though donations are accepted. For more information about the new exhibits, the Butterfly Rainforest or ButterflyFest call 352-846-2000 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

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Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Lauren Churchwell
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu