CHARLIE MILLER BUTTERFLY HABITAT

8 Interesting Butterfly Facts
Butterflies are majestic little creatures with many amazing characteristics. Check out 8 interesting tidbits of info on these flying wonders here.

Monarch Danaus plexippus

“Hi! I am a monarch butterfly! I am one of the most recognizable and well-studied butterflies on earth! I have orange wings laced with black lines and bordered with white dots, cute right?”

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

“Why hello! I am a painted lady. I am known for my speed and I can reach up to nearly 30 miles per hour!”

Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae

“Hi, I am a gulf fritillary! Try saying that 5 times fast! I lay small yellow eggs singly on or near leaves, stems, or tendrils of purple passionflowers!”

Common Buckeye Junonia coenia

“Hi! I am a common buckeye. Eyes on the back of your head? I have “eyes” on the back of my wings that are outlined in orange!  My favorite host plants are snapdragon, monkey flowers, plantains, and reullia!”

Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes

“Howdy! I am the giant swallowtail! I am the largest butterfly in North America with a wingspan of up to 7 inches! My favorite host plants are citrus!”

Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta

“Hey! I am a red admiral! You know when you humans reach down to pull a weed and realize its too late and that it was a stinging nettle? Those are my absolute favorite host plants!”

It’s Planting Season!
What better time to make pollinators happy and ensure you see some beautiful butterflies this summer? Learn about how to set up your very own butterfly garden here.

What a transformation!
Butterflies change a lot over the span of their life, from egg to butterfly. Get ready to learn a few interesting facts about this process soon!

The Butterfly Habitat
In 1997, the Bowling Green JCI Senators built The Butterfly Habitat and dedicated it in memory of one of their own, Charlie Miller. It’s because of them that this wonder-filled garden exists. Since then, the Charlie Miller Butterfly Habitat has been enjoyed by thousands of guests.

The #FindYourWings Butterfly Mural

In 2018, local artists Hadleigh Chapman and Novelty V. Habit donated their time and talent to create an amazing mural on the side of the Gift Shop to raise awareness of the need for the ongoing support of the Butterfly Habitat.

Come spread your wings and tag #lostrivercave as you take flight for an awesome cause!

 

Over the years the Charlie Miller Butterfly Habitat has been enjoyed by thousands of guests. The Habitat is a beautiful garden filled with wonderful little fluttering inhabitants for everyone to enjoy, but it’s much more than that. Every experience in the Habitat is one that serves the mission to educate and enrich lives through connections with nature.

We hope guests will enjoy learning about the native plants that butterflies need to thrive, their natural predators, and their lifecycle. We like to think of the habitat as a loosely structured introduction to a ‘gateway bug,’ the butterfly.  Butterflies are beautiful, gentle, and generally aren’t feared; those characteristics serve in helping visitors begin or continue their journey into learning the value of insects to nature and to us!