Victoria Butterfly Gardens Are you still shivering from memories of our long winter? Are you craving a tropical vacation but can’t afford it? Yes you can! For $15 you can take a mini vacation in a tropical paradise – one with no poisonous snakes! Pack up your camera, dress for summer and head for Victoria Butterfly Gardens. It’s only minutes away from downtown Victoria in Brentwood Bay. Butterfly Gardens is a 12,000-square-foot jungle-like enclosure with over 3,000 freeflying butterflies and moths, representative of species from
by C.J. Papoutsis
around the world – brilliant, magnificent-coloured creatures that glide, swoop and stop to rest on lush tropical plants and visitors! The temperature is warm and humid to support these delicate residents and their ecosystem. Take a tour and the great staff will introduce you to the different species of butterflies, birds, fish and plants before leaving you to wander. After half an hour, I felt as if I was in the Caribbean. Butterflies aren’t the only attraction at the Gardens, although they’re definitely the
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Throughout the Gardens, whiffs of light floral scent float through the air. Two hundred species of orchids, hibiscus and other brilliant tropical flowers, many with butterflies sitting on them, wait to be photographed. There are giant koi, tropical ducks and two Caribbean flamingos, Houdini and Mango, who rule the flowing stream and pond. Houdini poses for photographs. Tropical bird song from many species enhances the jungle atmosphere. Among them are ducks; Leo, the Amazon parrot and South African crested turacos, all with their own unique personalities. Tiny button quail rush across the path and hide in the undergrowth. The sulcata and red footed tortoises are relatively new. They watch from under their geometrically-patterned shells with bored, knowing expressions, as if they’ve seen it all before.
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stars. At the Emerging Area, you’ll learn about their life cycle and at the Emerging Window, pupae turn into butterflies before your eyes. Butterflies are fantastic. I love their brilliant colours and intricate patterns and the way light shines through their whisperthin wings. Even with a good computer and digital imaging program, the best we can hope for is to be good “imitators.” Mother Nature doesn’t need Adobe Photoshop.
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The 14 poison dart frogs, the newest residents of the Gardens, live in a glass cylinder. Since they’re