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Embark on a captivating exploration of the miniature wonders in our ecosystem through a series of Nature Journaling Workshops at the Butterfly Pavilion. Led by an expert artist and environmental educator, each workshop unveils a new topic within the enchanting realm of invertebrates – from butterflies to spiders and beetles. Participants will learn to intricately capture these delicate creatures in their nature journals, combining art and scientific observation. Whether you're an experienced artist or a curious nature enthusiast, join us to delve into the fascinating world of invertebrates, gaining a deeper appreciation for their significance in maintaining the ecological balance. Don't miss the chance to ignite your creativity and understanding of nature in these hands-on, educational workshops.

About the Instructor - Catie Michel: Catie Michel is a seasoned scientific illustrator with a deep-rooted passion for capturing the intricate details of the natural world. With a portfolio that spans numerous publications, exhibitions, and collaborations with leading researchers, Catie brings both artistic finesse and scientific rigor to her instruction. Her ability to intertwine art and science creates an enriching learning experience that encourages participants to view the environment through a new lens.

Topics:

June 22  - Pollinators  

July 27  - Beetles 

August 31 -  Color in the Natural World 

October 26 -  Spiders  

Little Miss Muffet may have been afraid, but you won’t be as you learn about spiders and other arachnids such as scorpions, camel spiders, daddy longlegs, and ticks. Review the evolutionary history of arachnids, the natural history and biology of the different groups, and the medical and economic importance of these animals. Live guests may drop by for an eight-legged howdy do!

Biography: Paula Cushing received her Ph.D. in 1995 from the University of Florida. In 1998, she began her position as Curator at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Her research focuses on the biodiversity, taxonomy, systematics, and evolutionary ecology of arachnids, particularly spiders and wind scorpions, or solifuges. She has published numerous scientific articles as well as popular articles about spiders and insects. She is also very active with the American Arachnological Society and the International Society of Arachnology and has served as President of both these scientific societies.

Syllabus:

Tuesday, October 1st

Introduction to Subphylum Chelicerata, Class Arachnida

· Pycnogonida and Xiphosura

· Palpigradi – micro-whip scorpions

· Opiliones – daddy longlegs or harvestmen

· Acarina – mites and ticks (begin, live guests)

Thursday, October 3rd

· Acarina – continued; microscope exercise

· Ricinulei – hooded tick-spiders

· Pseudoscorpiones -- pseudoscorpions

· Solifugae – camel spiders or wind scorpions

Tuesday, October 8th

· Solifugae – continued (sex video!)

· Scorpiones– scorpions (live guests)

· Schizomida – short-tailed whip-scorpions

Thursday, October 10th

· Amblypygi – tailless whip scorpions (live guest)

· Thelyphonida – vinegaroon or whip scorpion (live guest)

· Araneae – spiders (just a taste and live guests (but not a taste of live guests!)

How do bugs experience the world? How do we perceive the bugs around us? Explore the five senses from the perspective of some of the most unique animals in the world!

How do bugs experience the world? How do we perceive the bugs around us? Explore the five senses from the perspective of some of the most unique animals in the world!

River Quest - Junior scientists will unravel the mysteries of freshwater ecosystems while fostering a deep appreciation for all the life in the water around us.

*This class 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 Jewel Beetle Specimen.

This class will start off 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 beetle, a mini relaxing chamber, their own pinning board, and their own set of entomology pins.

*This class is geared towards adults but is suitable for 16+ with a parent in attendance*

Whether you’re a paparazzi or can’t figure out your camera or phone, join expert photographer Bob Krugmire for hands-on instruction that will teach you to maximize the potential of your camera! Leave with better skills, knowledge, and tons of fantastic close-up shots. Space is limited! Pre-registration and pre-payment are required.

Music of the Tropics themed Bugs and Brews, a whimsical adult-only, after hours adventure at Butterfly Pavilion! 

Join us for a captivating evening of Bugs and Brews   Music of the Tropics night at Butterfly Pavilion. Enjoy two hours of adult-only exploration at our zoo with the added enchantment of a Boulder Philharmonic harpist and flautist, James Marienthal, playing amongst our butterflies in Wings of the Tropics. It's a night you won't want to miss! 

Not only is this a fun and engaging event, but an excellent way to learn more about invertebrates, from tarantulas and butterflies to coral and bees, which make up more than 97% of all animal species on earth and our critical for survival of all life on the planet. 

What's included:

• Two hours of adult only exhibit exploration.
• Two glasses of beer or wine of your choice.
• Non-alcoholic beverages available. 
  

Extra experiences:  

• A harpist from the Boulder Philharmonic will play from 5:30  6:30 p.m. in The Wings of the Tropics 
• Flautist, James Marienthal, will play from 6:30   7:30 p.m. in The Wings of the Tropics 

Experience a rejuvenating yoga class in our tropical rainforest. Led by one of our rotating instructors, classes provide an amazing opportunity to transcend the hustle and bustle of daily life as you practice amongst the butterflies in our conservatory.

Due to this program being in high demand no refunds or date change requests can be made for this program. All tickets are final purchase.

Join Butterfly Pavilion to help scientists all over the world with the City Nature Challenge. The City Nature Challenge is a worldwide community science event where community members are encouraged to participate in a bioblitz by using the community science app iNaturalist. In doing so, you will help gather data on biodiversity, changes in the environment, and how different species have evolved and become more resilient to change. Cities compete among three different categories: most observations, most species identifications, and most people participating. On April 27th and 28th at 10:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m., join Butterfly Pavilion staff in our gardens to participate in the bioblitz to identify as many species as you can and make Denver the champions of the City Nature Challenge.

Tools Needed:  

Please download iNaturalist to your smart phone to participate  

Location:This program will take place outdoors in Butterfly Pavilion s gardens. 

Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network is a community science project that is run by Butterfly Pavilion, that harnesses the power of volunteers to conserve Colorado butterflies.

This training session will prepare you to observe and record native butterflies, gathering essential data that has a positive impact on Colorado's invertebrates.

The butterfly monitor training is intended for volunteers looking to learn about butterfly identification and monitoring protocols for individual monitoring in a self-selected route.

Dates:

Saturday, April 20th

Location: John Martin State Park

Time: 1:00pm-4:00pm

Saturday, May 4th

Location: Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Sunday, May 5th

Location: Boulder (TBD)

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Friday, May 10th 

Location: Gardens on Spring Creek in Fort Collins, CO

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Saturday, May 25th

Location: Fountain Creek Nature Center

Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

Spring’s here - are you ready to have your best gardening year yet? Learn about pollinator-friendly garden preparation and how to transform boring turf into a garden oasis that helps the planet. Butterfly Pavilion Horticulture Director Amy Yarger offers actionable advice, helps you to avoid common gardening pitfalls, and busts persistent myths about what, when and how to plant your pollinator habitat oasis.

Amy’s bio: Amy Yarger has worked in the public horticulture field since 1996. She received a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine, and then studied plant-animal interactions at the University of Michigan.  Amy currently leads Butterfly Pavilion’s local pollinator habitat initiatives, such as the Baseline Pollinator District™, Manitou Springs Pollinator District™, and the Urban Prairies Project, which restores habitat in urban and suburban natural areas.

Dream-inducing flower fields, crime-fighting vegetables, houseplants with beautiful baritone voices - plants make countless appearances throughout film, poetry, music and art. How much of this storytelling is based in science? Join for an exploration of plants in pop culture, and 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 really be interested in all those mushrooms? Butterfly Pavilion’s Horticulturist and Manager of Community Habitats, Ashley White provides some scientific context to our favorite flora fables.

Ashley’s bio: Ashley White is Butterfly Pavilion’s Community Habitats Manager, and a member of the BP team since 2017. Her education and background primarily focus on Horticulture and according to Ashley, “nature nerdom”, mingled with art and creative pursuits. She’s passionate about connecting people to healthy outdoor spaces and transformative experiences with wildlife. Ashley leads and supports many of Butterfly Pavilion’s habitat-building and community science projects: Urban Prairies Project, Healthy Habitats Gardening Program, and more.

We rely on plants for oxygen, food and medicines, but plants have a dark side, too. Butterfly Pavilion Horticulture Director will share the dangerous and often disturbing interactions that plants have with insects, and sometimes people! Learn about carnivorous plants, tricky orchids, and the wild world of plant toxins.

Amy’s bio: Amy Yarger has worked in the public horticulture field since 1996. She received a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Irvine and then studied plant-animal interactions at the University of Michigan.   Amy currently leads Butterfly Pavilion’s local pollinator habitat initiatives, such as the Baseline Pollinator District, Manitou Springs Pollinator District and the Urban Prairies Project, which restores habitat in urban and suburban natural areas.

It is well known that stick insects are the masters of camouflage, but did you know that some of them can also spray acid or simulate a leaf swaying with the wind? If you are interested in learning more about these fascinating insects, please come and join this talk by Target Species Manager, Fransico Garcia Bulle Bueno on November 3rd.

Bio: Francisco completed a B.S. in Biology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico in 2017. He then completed a PhD on Entomology at the University of Sydney, Australia in 2021. Francisco’s main areas of research have been breeding, husbandry, reproductive behavior, and management of bees. He has successfully published six scientific papers on bee’s biology on peer reviewed journals. During his PhD, Francisco also worked with schools, universities, refugees, beekeepers and senior adults delivering science communication workshops with the aim of promoting environmental and sustainability in urban environments by teaching the importance of insects and their habitats in Australia. He was also the manager of a stingless bee program run by tone of the councils in Sydney where he managed and propagated over 100 colonies of stingless bees every year. After finishing his PhD and before the Butterfly Pavilion, Francisco worked on developing conservation projects in the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico working with local people and raising awareness about the importance of bees and general biodiversity.

Webinar overview: This one-hour webinar will introduce attendees to the fascinating world of forensic entomology: the use of insects in investigations. Attendees will learn about the diversity of forensically relevant insects, how insects are collected from crime scenes, and analyzed for cases. Case examples will be discussed to explain how forensic entomology is used in criminal investigations, from the crime scene to the courtroom. Join us to learn more about Forensic Flies and the use of maggots to solve murders.

*Zoom link will be sent to you 24 hours prior to the class*

Speaker bio: Dr. Krystal Hans is a board-certified forensic entomologist and serves as the Director of Forensic Science and an Assistant Professor of Forensic Entomology at Purdue University. She received her master’s degree from Cleveland State University and her Ph.D. from the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. Before arriving at Purdue in 2019, she held the Director of Forensic Biology position at Delaware State University and served on the Delaware Commission on Forensic Science from 2016-2018. At Purdue, she has instructed more than 2000 undergraduate students in courses on forensic entomology and forensic science and has a research lab that mentors graduate and undergraduate students' experiments on the behavior and development of forensically relevant insects. Dr. Hans is currently the president-elect for the North American Forensic Entomology Association and is a forensic consultant for investigations in states across the Midwest. She is an instructor at the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy and provides training in forensic entomology for law enforcement, pathologists, and coroners in Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio.

* This webinar may contain content that is sensitive to some viewers, viewer discretion is advised*

5:30 - 7:30pm

Experience Family Science Nights at Butterfly Pavilion for the unbeatable price of $5 per person! At these events, you can explore our exhibits after hours and enjoy self guided activities at themed stations scattered through the exhibits! As a bonus, upon completing all activities, each family member earns a special sticker and enjoys a 10% discount in our gift shop! Make your family nights memorable with our affordable and educational after-hours experience! Registration required!

January: Metamorphosis

February: What do invertebrate families look like?

March: Women in STEM!

April: Biomimicry

May: Spring

June: Pollinators

Get your tickets online & save! Admission at the door is $1 more than online.

Tickets only valid for the date selected.

Front Doors lock at 4:15 p.m.

Tickets must be reserved for children under 2.

Please see Visitor Information or FAQ page for more information.

Looking for the best time to visit Butterfly Pavilion? View our live occupancy tracker!

Homeschoolers and your families, these days are reserved especially for you! Take advantage of these exciting opportunities to explore our engaging exhibits and interact with thousands of invertebrates! Each Homeschool Day incorporates themed activities great for all ages. These include various invertebrate investigations, talks with real scientists, fun crafts, and more.

May 23, 2024: Earn your green thumb with our gardening homeschool day! Learn about pollinators and native plants through fun classes and gardening projects. 

June 18, 2024: Join us for engaging outdoor classes and activities that explore the vital roles played by mosquitoes and other invertebrate "pests" in our ecosystems. Learn about their functions around the world and why they're essential for our planet during this special outdoor homeschool day! 

Join us as we explore the exciting universe of centipedes, millipedes, and other multiple-legged marvels.