Florida Museum of Natural History opens new permanent garden and indoor exhibit

October 12, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will open and dedicate its new Florida Wildflower and Butterfly Garden at 11 a.m. Saturday during the inaugural Florida Butterfly Festival.

The Florida Museum also will display a new indoor exhibit case that complements the outdoor garden with small dioramas illustrating and explaining the life-cycle relationships between wildflowers and butterflies. The permanent exhibit and garden were made possible by a $94,409 grant from the Florida Wildflower Advisory Council and the Florida Wildflower Foundation Inc. The dedication will include a ceremonial planting of coreopsis, the state’s official wildflower.

The Florida Butterfly Festival is headquartered at the University of Florida Cultural Plaza from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and includes free family activities in addition to free- and fee-based lectures and field trips. Paid workshops include butterfly photography, gardening and specimen preparation.

To learn more about the festival visit http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/ or call 352-846-2000, ext. 200.