Emerging Butterflies, New Year

Butterfly metamorphosis – from caterpillar to winged beauty – is a classic symbol of transformation and an apt metaphor for the emergence of a new year. New Year's Eve is a perfect time to see these brilliantly colored flutterers emerge live from chrysalides. This warm, indoor exhibit filled with tropical plants and exotic and native butterflies has been inspiring visitors since it opened in October – photographers, quilters and jewelry artists as well as children who decided to be butterflies for Halloween.

The Museum is closed New Year's Day, but re-merges in the new year on Jan. 2.

And, coming up Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.: Butterflies and Moths of the High Desert with Dr. Ralph Berry, professor emeritus in entomology at Oregon State University and co-creator of our live Butterflies exhibit. He will discuss some of the butterfly and moth species found in the High Desert and the influence of host plants on their biology. It's included in Museum admission.

On Jan. 15, award-winning butterfly author Robert Michael Pyle talks about his new book Mariposa Road: the First Butterfly Big Year, and butterfly ecology and conservation at 6 p.m. at Central Oregon Community College. (It's $8 for Museum members. General admission, $10. Students, $3. Tickets at the Museum, at www.highdesertmuseum.org and at the door at COCC. The special appearance, in connection with the Museum’s Butterflies exhibit, is in partnership with the Nancy R. Chandler Visiting Scholar Program.)

On Jan. 29 at 2 p.m.: Cascadia Lepidoptera Conservation, a presentation by Dr. David G. James, associate professor of entomology at Washington State University, explores people’s fascination with butterflies and the scientific and environmental reasons why we should care about them. He will also discuss some of the Northwest’s key butterfly species and the role of butterflies in the region’s vineyards. It's included in Museum admission.

The Hawk and the Snowman

Earlier this week, as our wildlife staff went about feeding and caring for our raptors, they got a little distracted by the pristine powder that had fallen overnight. They built a snowman, and couldn't resist putting a falconry glove on it. Jim Dawson, the curator of living collections, prompted Marie, the Harris hawk, to fly to that glove. No photo tricks here. The secret? Jim's son, Sam, was hiding behind the snowman, holding the stick arm, so it would support Marie, who weighs about two-and-a-half pounds.

Marie demonstrates her flying abilities during a special show, Owl Legends, which returns Dec. 26 through 30. She is the only hawk in the show that features Aurora, the Eurasian eagle owl, the world’s largest owl species. You can meet this owl with a six-foot wingspan, along with George the barn owl, Ghost, the great horned owl and William, the tiny screech owl.

You'll explore the legends of these night hunters and discover their true stories as Jim Dawson, a wildlife biologist who has studied raptors around the globe, reveals the science and secrets about these fascinating creatures.

Owl Legends
Dec. 26 through 30
11 am and 1 pm
Members: $5; non-members $7 plus museum admission.
Tickets and information: http://bit.ly/dX8G0p

World’s Largest (and Beautiful) Moths Emerging from Cocoons!

The Atlas moth, the world’s largest moth (delicate and colorful with an eight-inch wingspan) and new exotic butterflies are about to take flight in our Butterflies exhibit. Be surrounded by hundreds of live flutterers while watching new ones emerging from cocoons and chrysalides in the climate controlled “pupa room.” The moth cocoons and butterfly chrysalides wiggle as their inhabitants complete metamorphosis. See them break free, stretch their wings, antennae and proboscis (antenna-like feeding tube) for the first time, and you’ll have witnessed something unique and inspiring.

The scarlet Mormon butterfly from Australasia and the blue-banded swallowtail from Africa are also expected to emerge within the next few days too.

The warm, tropical indoor garden is a great escape from winter, and you’ll discover what the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) eat, how important specific plants are to them, and what we can do to protect them and their habitats.

And, this Saturday is a Sensational Saturday, designed to get families together to do creative activities with a butterflies theme. Expand on what you learn with hands-on fun that engages all the senses. Discover how cultures throughout the world have made the butterfly and moth an important part of their heritage. China, Mexico, and many other countries have stories, art, and clothing influenced by these marvelous winged wonders.

Sensational Saturday family activities are happening from 10 am to 4 pm, Dec. 18, and are included in Museum admission.

Saturday: Meet Live Butterflies, Discover How to Attract Them!

This Saturday at our Butterflies exhibit, you'll be surrounded by hundreds of live butterflies, and at 2 p.m., you'll discover the area's best spots to find them, gardening to attract butterflies, butterfly photography, joining a butterfly count, habitat preservation, monarch migration and more from local butterfly enthusiast Sue Anderson.

Local Butterfly Hot Spots is the kickoff of the Museum's High Desert Perspectives series of butterfly lectures, which build on the popular live Butterflies exhibit. The series is included in admission.

“The Butterflies exhibit has been tremendously well-received, and we are offering this in-depth lecture series to further enhance the educational aspects by highlighting several themes: local species, the interplay of plants and butterflies, and conservation,” said Dana Whitelaw, vice president of programs.

On select Saturdays, a different expert will help expand your knowledge about butterflies as they address a range of topics.

Coming up Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.: Butterflies and Moths of the High Desert with Dr. Ralph Berry, professor emeritus in entomology at Oregon State University and co-creator of our live Butterflies exhibit. He will discuss some of the butterfly and moth species found in the High Desert and the influence of host plants on their biology.

And on Jan. 29 at 2 p.m.: Cascadia Lepidoptera Conservation, a presentation by Dr. David G. James, associate professor of entomology at Washington State University, exploring people’s fascination with butterflies and the scientific and environmental reasons why we should care about them. He will also discuss some of the Northwest’s key butterfly species and the role of butterflies in the region’s vineyards.

Rediscover the Holidays, 1880s Style

Have you ever paused to imagine how holidays free of commercialism would feel? Have you ever pondered how our holiday traditions came to be? This Sunday at the Museum, you can experience a rustic, historic 1880s Christmas just as it was on the High Desert frontier.

Our re-created settlement town, Silver City, replete with bank, assayer's office and Chinese mercantile, will be visited by the Victorian-era Father Christmas, who represented the season's spirit of good cheer. In a nod to modernity, children can have their picture taken with him in his flowing, emerald robe and white beard, and tell him what they want this holiday.

In this historically accurate setting, it's easy to imagine that you are a homesteader, or have come West to stake a mining claim and reap a fortune. For those who pioneered this region, celebrating the holidays was a welcome respite from harsh conditions in a new land.

As you nibble on gingerbread, listen to 1880s music played live by the Thorn Hollow String Band, and take in our other exhibits, we think you'll take home an experience unlike any other. It's all part of our mission, helping you to discover your connection to the past, role in the present, and responsibility to the future.

Dec. 5, 11 am-3:30 pm $10 (plus admission). Members, $5.
Thorn Hollow String Band plays 1 pm - 3 pm.