BFCI is pleased to introduce
its newest member, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida.
Opened in 1995, the facility
is home to over 10,000 aquatic plants and animals from 1,340 species from Florida and all over the
world. The Florida Aquarium’s mission is
to entertain, educate and inspire stewardship about the natural
environment. It serves as a significant
example of Florida’s
commitment to preserving native landscapes, ecosystems, historical and
archaeological sites, and ethnic and cultural traditions representative of the
diverse geography and cultural life unique to the state. The Aquarium has been accredited by the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1997.
Among its many conservation
activities, the Florida Aquarium is increasing public awareness of and
involvement in butterfly conservation by providing examples of butterfly
gardens on Aquarium property.
Senior Horticulturalist Julia
Stack has designed and intalled four different butterfly gardens at the
Aquarium. Flanking the walkway between the parking lot and the Aquarium
building are two 100 square foot beds of hardy outdoor plants. Queuing gardens that lead to the Aquarium
entrance feature eight individual planters which demonstrate eight different Florida habitats and the native plants found in them. A small
butterfly garden along a boardwalk and stairs leads to the wetlands gallery
housed in the 65-foot shell shaped glass dome. Last but not least is the
officially designated rooftop butterfly garden.
Up until 2006 this had been an empty area, but as the Aquarium prepared
to host meetings of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a need to convert
the space into something more attractive became a priority. Ilze Berzins, Veterinarian and Vice President
of Biological Operations, has led the Aquarium in their conservation
initiatives and wanted to convert the area into a butterfly garden.
The garden consists of a
large koi pond surrounded by a large raised stone planter, a tiki style animal
enclosure, 16 large clay planters, and several benches. The plant collection around the pond includes
hamelia, salvia, pentas, buddleia, lantana, Cuban oregano, milkweed, and
passion vine. The pots are planted with
wild lime, cassia, and jatropha underplanted with pentas, lantana, and parsley.
According to Julia Stack, “The
new rooftop butterfly garden has been a big success and a pleasant surprise to
new and repeat guests alike. What was once
very hot, sterile, empty space is now a cool, lush, relaxing place. It has been a great area for private evening
events as well.”
The overriding mission for
the gardens is to increase public awareness of and involvement in butterfly
conservation by providing an example of what a butterfly garden looks
like. Graphics throughout the garden
provide specific information needed to design and create a butterfly
garden.
. Overtime, the island had
become overrun with exotic vegetation. Restoration
and enhancement activities were designed to create a stand-alone, functioning
educational tool for interpreting native local habitats. Microhabitats representative of the types that
make up the bay, including inter-tidal zones, upland scrub, mangrove forest and
salt marsh were created and installed. Subsequent
phases in the project are underway and include installing interpretive signage,
building a dock to accommodate The Florida Aquarium's ecotour boat,
construction of a covered educational pavilion, and the development of
educational programming.
The project is making an
environmentally positive impact in a critical region. It will provide a working educational tool
for interpreting native Florida
habitats. It provides a unique
opportunity to integrate educational programming with an ongoing conservation
effort. It is also exceptional in the
number of partnerships that have developed during the process of the project,
including members from non-profit organizations, government agencies, and
private industry. The partnerships that
have evolved will have a long-term effect on the environmental consciousness of
the region.
The office of BFCI completed
its move from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in Baltimore
to the McGuire Center
for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida in May, 2007.
BFCI now operates as a
program of the Florida Biodiversity Foundation Inc. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
charitable organization incorporated in the State of Florida.
Its mission is to study, preserve, conserve and restore Lepidoptera,
biodiversity and the environment, and includes the support of research,
educational exhibits and literature appropriate to these topics. It works closely with the McGuire Center
for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the
University of Florida.
The McGuire Center
is a part of the Florida Museum of Natural History, Florida’s official natural
history museum. Dedicated to
understanding, preserving and interpreting biological diversity and cultural
heritage, the Florida Museum is a world-class institution, ranking among
the five largest natural history museums in the U.S. Its collections, more than 26 million
specimens and artifacts, are some of the most comprehensive and widely utilized
in the world.
Like the Florida Museum,
the McGuire Center serves both research and public
education functions. Opened in July 2004, the McGuire Center
itself houses one of the largest collections of Lepidoptera in the world.
The Center includes
50,000-square-feet of collection, office and exhibit space. The Butterfly Rainforest is a 6,400-square-foot,
65-foot tall, steel and screen exhibit open year-round. The 460 species of plants housed amongst the
curves of the rainforest trail and five waterfalls support 1,500 – 2,000 living
butterflies with about 60 different species displayed at any one time.
Research space includes
laboratories focusing on molecular genetics, scanning electron microscopy,
image analysis and optical microscopy, conservation and captive propagation of
endangered species, physiology, morphology and specimen preparation.
Current research projects
underway at the Center include: Conservation of the Homerus Swallowtail,
Conservation of the Miami Blue, Conservation of the Schaus Swallowtail, St.
Augustine Hairstreak and Coastal Development, and Captive Propagation and Life
Histories of Satyrids.
As its first host activity, McGuire Center staff and graduate students spent
two days with staff from the BFCI member institution: Chicago Academy of Sciences/Notebaert Nature Museum sharing and comparing captive breeding and butterfly
conservatory operation techniques, protocols and methodologies. BFCI wants to encourage and hopefully
facilitate similar exchanges between BFCI’s partner, member and contributing organizations.
The
McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity is
proud to provide a permanent home for BFCI and effective collaboration in
achieving the joint objectives of the conservation of threatened, endangered,
and vulnerable North American butterflies and the habitats that sustain them,
with a focus on recovery, research and public education.