I was walking slowly down the path and I noticed a Blue Admiral on the ground. It looked like it was trying to fly away, but somehow couldn’t. So I picked it up and put my hand next to a flower, but the butterfly only flew back and landed on me instead! it would not get off. I continued to walk around looking at butterflies, but it still wouldn’t leave. Eventually I picked it up and was able to shake it onto a flower. Another Blue Admiral landed on my hand and… would not leave!

The butterfly room at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is full of live butterflies. There are many different types and they are all tremendously appealing. The room has a pathway down the middle for visitors to walk on, but you always have to look before stepping because the butterflies sometimes land on the floor. The pathway is lined with various flowers. The butterflies are everywhere: flying through the air, on the wall, on the ceiling, on the flowers, on the floor….

There is a spot only about 5-6 ft. away from the door that has some cantaloupe, banana and pineapple slices on stands. Around 8 Blue Admiral butterflies were perched on one slice of cantaloupe. Most butterflies drink flower nectar with their long tongues that they use like straws. Some butterflies almost never drink from flowers, instead gaining their food from tree sap, dead animals, or other organic material.

There was every kind of butterfly you could imagine, from all over the world. There was a box with different cocoons in them hanging from little plastic sticks. There was also a butterfly-cage, in which were three huge butterflies from places like Africa and Asia

It was exciting and beautiful and I’m glad I got to have that experience.

PEACE LOVE CHOCOLATE-COVERED-ALMONDS – Megan