So with these different random holidays, I’ve decided that I can also work them into the photography challenge either with newly taken pictures or newly shared pictures. The butterflies are falling into the second category–newly shared pictures.

One of the many butterflies at the Butterfly Garden in the Science Museum in Boston

So besides being π day, it is also National Learn About Butterflies Day (and since it is a random unofficial holiday—no one knows exactly who to credit with the day). Since spring and summer are (hopefully) right around the corner, mid-March seems like a good time to investigate the wonder and beauty that are butterflies.

Blue Butterfly at the Butterfly Garden.

One place that people can go to learn about butterflies are butterfly gardens. Most large cities have at least one major butterfly garden (and they’re usually associated with zoos or museums). I enjoyed the one at the Science Museum in Boston, and that is actually now a new goal—to see how many other butterfly gardens I can visit in different cities.

A couple of more butterflies…..

So what are some cool facts about butterflies?

  • There are over than 20,000 types of butterflies worldwide.
  • Their wingspans can range from 1/2 inch to 11 inches. So they range from fairly small to fairly large.
  • Some butterflies mimic the coloring of others to avoid being eaten (Viceroy butterflies mimic the monarch butterfly)
  • Adult butterflies can live from a week to nearly a year, depending on the species.
  • Many butterflies migrate over long distances.  The most well-known butterfly migration is the monarch butterfly. It winters in Mexico, and then heads to the northern US and southern Canada.

To help butterflies (and bees) out, one can plant different flowers in their garden, and even different herbs as well. To help the monarch butterfly out one can plant milkweed (it gives them their off taste that keeps predators from eating them). The best thing to do is to ensure that the garden has flowers throughout the seasons (spring, summer and fall). I’m going to be trying to get more flowers out into the yard this spring and summer to see what type of butterflies I can attract.

References: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-learn-about-butterflies-day-march-14/