Adult Programs

So you want a pollinator garden... but how do you make it a reality? Creating a healthy garden goes beyond pretty plant choices and where to place them. Learn the practical pieces of installation and habitat-friendly practices and approaches – explore planting techniques, soil health, irrigation and groundcover choices and more.

Why should we garden with the natural world in mind? Get a strong introduction to pollinators, their needs, their connections to planetary health, and how we can provide in the garden through our own choices and actions.

Get empowered and equipped to transform outdoor spaces into pollinator habitat havens with Butterfly Pavilion's Pollinator Gardening Bootcamp workshop series! Workshops include educational lectures, interactive participation, hands-on outdoor activities, and personalized instruction. Join other curious and passionate pollinator supporters and gardening enthusiasts through the planning, design, implementation, and upkeep involved in gardening for pollinators.

*To obtain your certification, you must complete the 5 classes and pass the comprehensive final exam (open-book, research encouraged) with a 70% or better. *

Cost:

Member Package Pricing: $140 for all classes

Non-member Package Pricing: $160 for all classes

2025 class dates:

Sunday, February 23: Pollinator Gardening 101 - 9:30am - 12:30pm

Sunday, March 30: Plants for Pollinators - 10:00am-1:00pm

Sunday, April27: Pollinator Garden Design - 10:00am-1:00pm

Sunday, May 18: Pollinator Garden Preparation and Planting - 10:00am-1:00pm

Sunday, July 27: Pollinator Garden Maintenance and Care - 10:00am-1:00pm

If you've always wanted to see more butterflies in your garden, have bigger harvests from your kitchen garden, or just make a positive difference for the planet, pollinator habitat gardening could be for you! This 90-minute interactive workshop will introduce you to the principles and practices of pollinator habitat gardening, from site assessment to design to maintenance. Learn about bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while also learning how simple changes to your landscape can add food, shelter, and other resources for these important animals.

Experience the beauty and diversity of the Butterfly Pavilion's outdoor gardens throughout the year with our exclusive seasonal garden tours led by Senior Director of Horticulture, Amy Yarger. Join us in spring, summer, and fall to explore the evolving landscapes of our habitat gardens, discovering the plants that support native butterflies, bees, and other pollinators at each stage of their life cycle. Amy will share insights on plant selection, garden design, and the unique challenges and successes of creating thriving pollinator habitats.

In winter, escape the cold with a special tropical plant tour in our lush, tropical butterfly room. Learn about the exotic plants that provide food and shelter for butterflies from around the world and discover the fascinating connections between tropical plants and pollinators.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore our gardens in every season and gain inspiration for your own pollinator-friendly garden!

- Winter Tropical Plant Tour: February 2, 2025, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

- Spring Tour: April 20, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

- Summer Tour: July 13, 2025, 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

- Fall Tour: September 21, 2025, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Join us for a fun and enlightening exploration of plants in pop culture—complete with a glass of wine or beer! From dream-inducing flower fields to crime-fighting vegetables and houseplants with beautiful baritone voices, plants play countless roles in film, poetry, music, and art. But how much of this storytelling is rooted in science? Dive into this interactive class with Butterfly Pavilion’s Horticulturist and Manager of Community Habitats, Ashley White, as we answer some of your most burning botanical questions: Can a willow actually whomp, or a tree really be giving? Do piranha plants exist, and should Mario be ingesting all those mushrooms? Uncover the scientific truths behind your favorite flora fables while enjoying a refreshing drink.

*This call is intended for adults but is suitable for 16+ with an adult in attendance*

Taught by The Terrorium Shop, Denver’s natural history store. In this class, you will learn everything you need to know to mount your very own scorpion specimen.

This class will start with a short lecture discussing the anatomy and lifestyle habits of the selected specimens. You will learn about relaxing chambers, the different types, and how to make a quick, easy relaxing chamber from household items. The last portion of the class will be hands-on pinning of your specimen.

Each person will receive one relaxed scorpion, a mini relaxing chamber, their own pinning board, and their own set of entomology pins. Please note the morphos do not have their thorax as they are removed due to grease of specimens.

No yard? No Problem! Everyone has the potential to cultivate and relish a stunning garden, while even the smallest outdoor spaces can become havens for pollinators!! Meet some small-space plant powerhouses, learn about providing pollinator food and shelter in container gardens, and get inspired to make big changes in little areas.

If you've gotten your beehive through its first winter in Colorado, congratulations! You're about to have a second-year hive! With a second-year hive comes all new adventures in beekeeping, one of the most important of which is swarming. When a colony swarms, not only does a beekeeper lose their valuable, experienced queen, but other issues, such as a failure to produce a new queen or swarms moving into dangerous locations, can occur. It is in a beekeeper s best interest to learn how to artificially create a swarm by doing a split to prevent their bees from becoming a community nuisance. It is also beneficial for new beekeepers to learn about swarm behavior and how they can get themselves free bees by becoming a swarm catcher.

In this workshop, we'll learn all about swarms, including signs that a colony is going to swarm, how to prevent your hive from swarming, how to make more hives by making splits, and basic swarm catching techniques.

Learn to Mount Your Own Tarantula with The Terrorium Shop!

In this class, you'll master the art of tarantula pinning from start to finish. The session kicks off with a brief lecture exploring the anatomy, behaviors, and fascinating lifestyle of the tarantula. You’ll also discover how to create a relaxing chamber, including a quick and easy version using household items.

The second half of the class is hands-on, where you’ll pin your own specimen with expert guidance from The Terrorium Shop.

Each participant will receive:

- A fully relaxed tarantula

- A mini relaxing chamber

- A pinning board

- A set of professional entomology pins

Join us for this unique opportunity to learn a new skill and take home a beautifully mounted tarantula!

Get ready for a wildly entertaining dive into the curious, captivating, and downright wacky world of "bug sex!" Join Colorado Entomologist Dr. Mike Weissmann for a special Valentine's Week presentation that explores the fascinating and often bizarre mating rituals of insects and their close relatives.

[Please Note: This program contains mature content. Discretion is advised.]