Traveling butterfly exhibit in Coshocton through Sunday
COSHOCTON — Teaching youth about butterflies in a hands-on way is the focus of a traveling butterfly exhibition at Clary Gardens.
Fran LeMasters has been going around Ohio with the All-A-Flutter Butterfly Enclosure Exhibition for 22 years. This is it's fifth time at Clary Gardens and it averages about 400 visitors a day.
It's available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today and Saturday and noon to 2 p.m. Sunday. It ends early Sunday due to the Rogue Elephant production of "Godspell."
"The setting is really pretty and there's usually a pretty good crowd of people who come," LeMasters said of Clary Gardens.
The enclosure has about 120 butterflies of various types. LeMasters is present to answer questions and explain butterflies to youth and adults. Cotton swabs with bits of watermelon on them are provided to entice the butterflies to land so one can get a better look.
"When they're out in the wild and you're chasing them and trying to catch them and all that, it doesn't work too well with butterflies," she said. "They can watch the life cycle. They can watch them hatch out from the chrysalis."
LeMasters said she tells people not to touch the butterflies, because of the germs folks can carry on their hands. She does encourage them to have the butterfly walk on their arms to feel them. Butterflies also like sweat, as they need salt just like humans.
While the focus is on children, LeMasters said those of all ages enjoy the enclosure.
"I had an 83-year-old lady in here who said 'I've never touched a butterfly or even been close enough to really see one,'" LeMasters said.
Jandi Adams, executive director of Clary Gardens, said they try to be pollinator-friendly and the facility has its own pollinator garden. She said locals have not been exposed to an enclosure like LeMasters has, which is more hands-on than larger conservatories in Columbus and Cleveland.
"The butterfly enclosure is one of a kind. We're happy to be a place visitors can experience butterflies first hand and also take that knowledge and experience with them. Fran does an amazing job educating the public about the exhibit," Adams said.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with close to 15 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Traveling butterfly exhibit in Coshocton through Sunday
