NAVARRE — Mary Derrick, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension outreach agent for the Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre, shares six things you should know, now that butterfly season has re-opened.
WATCH: Video of the Panhandle Butterfly House 2016 season opening>
1. The Butterfly House is volunteer-based. The exhibit — open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until the end of August at 8581 Navarre Parkway — operates as a non-profit program of the Santa Rosa Clean Community System Inc. and the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension Service, with Florida Master Gardeners’ support. Derrick, who oversees the volunteers, said about half are master gardeners.
2. All butterfly species there are native. “They are all Florida native butterflies … these are butterflies you can see in your own yard if you have butterfly-friendly habitats,” Derrick said.
GALLERY: Photos from the Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre>
3. The exhibit offers an educational experience. The butterfly house will regularly host many local school groups, Derrick said. “This is a very popular place for elementary school groups, and we have a whole curriculum for those tours as well that meets Florida Sunshine State Standards,” Derrick said. “So, the teachers are very happy with that because it features science education.” The exhibit also hosts scheduled tours for groups of 10 or more Mondays through Wednesdays.
4. The exhibit draws a crowd. The Butterfly House annually attracts around 15,000 visitors, Derrick said. The exhibit also sees many returning visitors including tourists, she said. “Since I have been here for three years, we have had people from 48 different states,” Derrick said. “Last year, we had visitors from 18 different countries.”
5. The Butterfly House will soon celebrate a milestone. “Next year will be a very special year; it will be our 20th anniversary,” Derrick said. Jack and Fonda Wetherell founded it in 1997.
6. You can start your own butterfly garden. Butterflies are not picky when it comes to nectar, Derrick said. “Anything they can get the nectar from they are all right, but with any successful butterfly garden it’s nice to have a variety of plants,” she said. Try planting Passion Vine, Sassafras and Dill.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: 6 THINGS TO KNOW About the Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre (VIDEO, PHOTOS)