Carleton’s 17th annual Biology Butterfly Show will feature nearly twice the number of butterflies as last year’s show, according to greenhouse manager Ed Bruggink.
From Oct. 1 to 9, the department of biology will display 1,300 butterflies, from 41 different species from around the world.
“This show is a gift from Carleton to the greater community, it is both educational and fun,” Bruggink said.
To put on the show, Bruggink said they bring in over 40 species of butterfly pupae from a butterfly supply company in London, England. According to Bruggink, the butterflies arrive still in their chrysalises or cocoons.
For the butterflies to hatch and show their final forms, Bruggink said he maintains a very humid 25-degree climate inside the greenhouse that is perfect for cold-blooded butterflies, despite being sweat-inducing for human visitors.
The butterflies vary in colour, from bright blues and striking reds to crisp blacks. Patrons are invited to wear bright colours and bring their cameras to take pictures. Orange slices are also offered for visitors to hold and attract the butterflies.
While the show is free, donations are being accepted at the greenhouse.
“The show costs are in the thousands, so donations are a critical factor to keep [the show] running from year to year,” Bruggink said.
According to Bruggink, students from both Carleton and the University of Ottawa volunteer to help put on the show through the charitable organization Let’s Talk Science and Carleton’s biology society.
The more student volunteers they receive, the better the show they put on, Bruggink said.
The show attracts many school groups, such as the horticulture class from the Ottawa Technical Secondary School (OTSS).
Chris Walsh and Steve Patterson are educational assistants for students in the physical support program at OTSS. Patterson said the butterflies at the show are beautiful.
“The colours that come out of the wings are just gorgeous,” Patterson said about the show.
“This year [the class] did a private information session before we went in which was very helpful,” Walsh said
According to Walsh and Patterson, both they and their students learned more about the life cycle of butterflies and the delicacy of their wings.
They added the show could only be improved if the greenhouse were larger, in order to make it easier for large groups and people in wheelchairs to get around in the space.
According to a press release, more than 10,000 people visited last year’s show.
