Special Activities Planned to Celebrate

Grand Opening of New “Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom” Exhibit

Providence, RI – Roger Williams Park Zoo is ushering in the unofficial start of summer with a “flutter” of activity this Memorial Day weekend. In honor of its new “Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom” exhibit, opening May 24, the Zoo is renaming this holiday weekend “Flutterby Weekend” and is hosting a variety of butterfly-themed activities on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25.

Visitors to the Zoo during Flutterby Weekend can enjoy ethereal music by harpist Mary King (Saturday only), take part in an interactive Tape Art Mural (Sunday only), check out a Butterfly Education Station, watch environmental artist Will Machin create a butterfly house, and meet a giant butterfly puppet and costumed caterpillar character by Ten31 Productions.

Activities run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are free with regular Zoo admission. (An additional fee of $3 per adult and $2 per child applies for entry to the Flutterby exhibit.) For a complete schedule of activities, including special performance times, visit www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

The new exhibit, open May 24 through Labor Day, September 1, offers Zoo visitors a brand new immersive experience among hundreds of free-flying butterflies. The exhibit is set inside a 2,100 square-foot greenhouse, landscaped with butterfly-friendly flowers and nectar plants. About 500 butterflies, all North American species, will fill the greenhouse at any one time, offering visitors a close encounter with these “flowers in flight.”

In the midst of this whimsical setting are a number of interactive elements designed to encourage further fun and discovery. A special viewing window lets visitors watch the “birth” of a butterfly as it emerges from its chrysalis. Fanciful graphics help to identify the various butterfly species, along with some surprising fun facts, like why butterflies “taste” with their feet and how they use mimicry to survive.

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Little ones can literally get into the butterfly life cycle at a caterpillar and butterfly photo station. Everyone can check out a caterpillar food garden and find out how to set up a butterfly garden in their own backyard. All the while, visitors will learn about the threats that butterflies face and find out more about why many are on the brink of extinction.

Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom at Roger Williams Park Zoo is a fundraiser for the Zoo, and an additional fee of $3 per adult and $2 per child (ages 3 – 12) applies. Net proceeds will be used to support the Zoo’s education and conservation efforts. General Zoo admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors (62+) and $6 for children ages three to 12. Children under three and Zoo members receive free general Zoo admission.

Roger Williams Park Zoo is operated and maintained by the Rhode Island Zoological Society and is owned by the City of Providence.

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EDITOR’S NOTE – PHOTOS AVAILABLE:

These and other photos (sized 5 x 7, 300 dpi) are available for download at: https://www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org/secure/press/pics.cfm

Photos may also be obtained on disk or through e-mail by contacting the Zoo PR office.

“Flutterby: Butterflies in Bloom at Roger Williams Park Zoo,” open May 24 through September 1, promises visitors an an enchanting wonderland where children and adults alike will wonder as they wander through a beautifully landscaped 2100-square foot greenhouse filled with hundreds of free-flying butterflies. For more information, visit www.rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org or call 401-785-3510.

photos / Roger Williams Park Zoo

Butterfly photos / Cheryl Thompson Cameron