The Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s “Butterflies in the Garden” exhibit is back and will be here until April 30. Although their lives only last a few weeks, butterflies play a significant role in the ecosystem.
Visitors are educated about the insects’ environmental impact while offering an immersive experience that makes guests feel as if they’ve traveled across the globe.
Monarch butterflies, local to Texas, are vulnerable to endangerment, according to the Endangered Species Coalition. Their decline reflects a broader trend, as many butterfly species face increasing threats. The Botanic Garden aims to lead conservation efforts through education.
“Butterflies in the Garden” guests admire the insects on a Friday afternoon. (Katelin Somers).
With their delicate nature, the winged insects are shipped in their pupa during the metamorphosis phase. Behind that careful process is an extensive effort by the garden’s staff to ensure each stage is handled properly.
Dena Lewis, the head of public relations at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, said that the hard work from the staff is what produces a successful butterfly exhibit.
For the team, after one exhibit ends, they start planning for the next year. The team has worked with several international butterfly farmers along with the Garden’s on-site entomologists who oversee the event.
Blue Morpho Butterfly, presented by the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. (Katelin Somers).
Alaina Rodriguez, a Botanic Garden staff member, has dedicated her time in the back lab to rear the pupa before releasing them in the greenhouse.
Five butterflies that are native to Texas are featured in the exhibit along with hundreds of exotic butterflies that derive from places including Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador and Malaysia.
The greenhouse features the butterflies’ native plants, which help mimic their natural habitat and keep them living comfortably.
Lewis highlights two of the Garden’s main goals for the exhibit: to help locals connect face-to-face with the beauty of the pollinators and to educate people about their significance in our environments.
Rodriguez has witnessed many visitors take away “spiritual meaning” and even some who have come to tears from the exhibit. Guests born outside the United States may find a new way to connect to their birthplace through the international butterflies.
Melt ice cream pop-up shop outside of the “Butterflies in the Garden” exhibit (Katelin Somers).
“Butterflies in the Garden” is presented by Central Market, which has donated some of the butterflies’ favorite fruits for the exhibit. Other collaborators include the local ice cream shop Melt, which brings a new butterfly-inspired flavor, like this year’s “Raspberry Butterfly,” to the event every year.
Tickets are $14 for guests ages 16 to 65.
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