First Annual Butterfly Quest Begins

Butterfly Pavilion is thrilled to announce the first annual Butterfly Quest – a fun, engaging, and educational event launching on February 22, 2022. By participating in this event, aspiring scientists, butterfly enthusiasts, and any adventurous guest can assist with ongoing butterfly research through an  interactive experience.

Taking place in Butterfly Pavilion’s Wings of the Tropics butterfly conservatory, Butterfly Quest allows guests to act as scientists. Guests will  track and observe tagged butterflies, record meaningful data, and capture beautiful pictures of our butterflies- all through your phone!! By participating in Butterfly Quest, you are helping scientists here at Butterfly Pavilion and around the world. What better way is there to make a direct impact on animal welfare here and in zoos around the world?

“Butterfly Pavilion is always seeking new approaches to understand and observe the lifespan of different invertebrate species to lead the way in improving invertebrate welfare,” says Shiran Hershcovich, Lepidopterist Manager at Butterfly Pavilion. “Butterfly Quest is an immersive experience to fuel our guests’ sense of curiosity and exploration as they discover butterflies in a fresh new way.”

Butterfly Quest is a longevity study, which  allows our scientists to learn how long butterflies live in our conservatory’s tropical environment. At Butterfly Pavilion, when a new butterfly emerges in the butterfly conservatory’s chrysalis chamber, our research team tags it with a special sticker and number. Then, the butterfly is released into the conservatory. At this stage, guests can participate in the study through Butterfly Quest. Tracking and observing all the tagged butterflies is a very time-consuming process for our scientists so by getting involved, guests help gather information that indicates how long butterflies live, the way they act, and if changes are needed in animal care.

Tagged butterfly example is pictured below:

With the purchase of a Butterfly Quest ticket pack, you can save up to $16 off admission. AND, ticket packs include one Bug Bucket which allows children to bring the science home with them! These buckets give kids all the materials they might need to observe any invertebrate in their own backyard! Purchase tickets here.

How You Can Help Butterfly Longevity When Visiting Butterfly Pavilion:

• Refrain from touching/grabbing/handling the butterflies

  • Butterfly wings are extremely delicate. They have protective scales on their wings which protect from the elements and work to stabilize their internal body temperature. By touching their wings, humans cause them to lose those protective scales. Should you accidentally tear or injure their wings, they could lose the ability to fly.

• Watch where you step

  • Many butterflies will rest on our paths throughout Wings of the Tropics. It can be difficult to remember butterflies aren’t only flying above us!

• Check your clothing before you exit

  • Wings of the Tropics butterfly conservatory has additional points of entry and exit with mirrors surrounding guests. This is to ensure our butterflies aren’t accidentally hitching a ride out of the conservatory with a guest.

Butterfly Pavilion offers other opportunities for guests to extend their involvement in conservation by volunteering with one of our community science projects, including  Butterfly Monitoring, Dragonfly Monitoring and Urban Prairies Project. Learn more about all opportunities here.