The Butterfly Garden is open during our open hours (check them HERE), but there is never a guarantee you will see butterflies in the garden or in the Nature Center. You are most likely to see butterflies in the Spring and Summer on warm, sunny days, so please visit between 10AM and 3PM on Saturday or Sunday to see them flying wild and free! Note that if the weather is cold or overcast, butterflies are significantly less active. You may want to check our weather before coming.
Interested in learning about the plants in the Butterfly Garden? Download the Scavenger Hunt!
There are around 80 butterfly species native to Orange County, where once there were over 100. The greatest threat to butterflies is habitat loss due to residential and commercial development. Climate change, widespread pesticide use, and invasive species are also threatening many species of butterflies, because of impacts on the native host plants they depend on. You can help butterflies by planting native plants in your yard! Each butterfly species needs specific host plants to eat as caterpillars. They also require plants that provide nectar as adults. You can visit the Environmental Nature Center at 1601 E. 16th Street in Newport Beach on weekends from 10AM to 3PM. On warm sunny days you’re likely to see butterflies along with a number of birds and other native wildlife.
Butterfly Garden
Whats going on with monarchs and milkweed and OE?
We created a webpage with links to lots of great articles about this topic. Check out this great Oe Fact Sheet!. Check more out HERE! HERE is a great webinar about Oe and tropical milkweed.
What kinds of plants are in the Butterfly Garden?
ENC staff and volunteers planted Orange County native host and nectar plants for native Orange County butterflies. Host plants are munched by caterpillars; nectar plants provide nectar to the adult butterflies.
How can I help monarchs and other butterflies?
Plant native plants! Why plant Native Plants? To create butterfly habitat in your yard. Here is an extremely thorough list of plants that are host plants for Orange County Native Butterflies. Here is some important information about milkweed. Here is information about why it is important to only grow NATIVE milkweed. Here is a great article about how planting non-native milkweed could be harmful to monarchs.
Do you sell caterpillars?
No. We do not promote the purchase of butterflies, larvae or any wild animals. Releasing captive bred butterflies into the wild can spread diseases to natural populations. It can inappropriately mix genetically distinct populations of the same species. It can disrupt the migratory behavior of native butterflies. It can confuse scientific studies of butterfly migrations.
How can I rear monarch butterflies?
A group of ten monarch researchers and conservationists from across the U.S. have issued a statement highlighting concerns with the release of mass-reared monarch butterflies and recommended against the practice. More info HERE. And HERE is another article about a scientific study that suggests rearing migratory butterflies may do more harm than good. Still want to help? Monarch Health is a citizen science project in which volunteers sample wild monarch butterflies to help track the spread of a protozoan parasite across North America. If you’ve done your research and you still want to rear monarchs – and you want to follow protocols for safe rearing and collect data on your reared monarchs… click HERE.
Can I release my butterflies into the Butterfly Garden?
Sorry, no. Releasing captive bred butterflies could spread diseases to the wild butterfly population.
Where can I catch butterflies?
Nets and collection containers are not allowed at the ENC (or in most natural areas). Photographing a live butterfly in nature can be more challenging than netting one, and you can keep your “collection” in a photo album!
Tell me about monarch migration.
Monarchs to the west of the Rocky Mountains overwinter along the Pacific coastline of California and move inland in the spring to reproduce. East of the Rocky Mountains, monarchs migrate to Mexico and hibernate in oyamel fir trees. To learn more about the amazing Eastern Monarch Migration, read THIS GREAT ESSAY from Raised in Captivity by Marty Thompson Arnold. To read the novel, visit Amazon.com or order a copy from your favorite local bookstore. Also available in Kindle and ebook.
Who made the Butterfly Garden possible?
The Butterfly Garden was made possible by a gift from the Rotary Club of Okazaki South in Japan and the Rotary Club of Newport Balboa as a joint centennial community service project. Additional funding was received from Pacific Life Foundation and Home Depot. Thank you!