Butterflies in Belize

[heatherlsi]

Has anyone done the Bacab park and Butterflies? What was it like? Who took you on the excursion?

[driftwood]

You have brought up what should have been a good topic. "Butterfly Farms" are popping up around the Caribbean, and they should not be ignored. If as one African author (Sembene Ousmane) puts it, men are "God's Bits of Wood," surely butterflies are His confetti, and are well worth contemplating wherever they gather together. In the tropical paradise of Belize, you may expect to see vacationing butterflies from as far away as Brazil (a gorgeous electric dark blue) and Cuba (a sharp-winged model, velvety black with impressive red stripes) who have arrived on their own, and perhaps other butterflies from around the world imported for your education and amusement.

 

We have visited the Butterfly Farm on St. Martin on several occasions now, and we have never been disappointed. Some will sit still for photographs, and some will drive you crazy if you try to follow them around waiting for them to settle down long enough for your shutter to release. For children who have attained to the age of some reason, the educational opportunity is splendid, for here before them in many cases is the entire life cycle of a creature which can do them no harm of any kind. In general, a bus brings visitors, and the tour of the facility is given by someone who is both enthusiastic and knowledgeable: having probably risen herself early that morning to put out the day's orange slices and overripe bananas for the delectation of the sugar-eaters among the clamoring bits of color.

 

You will learn probably more than you ever wanted to know about butterflies, but you will probably also see more of them, and more species of them, than you have ever seen before in your life.

 

Bacab Eco Adventure Park is a fairly extensive place, with jungle walks, river walks,--even bicycle trails for the hardier among you, and horseback riding for the incurable cowboys. It is safe to say you will see stuff. Howler monkeys they have, and green parrots; Guanacaste trees and Strangler Figs of enormous dimension, "over fifty species of birds"; perhaps the silence of previous visitors on this string is owing to their having lost their capacity to express themselves in writing amid the wonders they have seen. But I feel reasonably sure you will "have a nice day," as we so energetically wish each other here in the States, and perhaps you will have the kindness to return full of your adventure in Belize and share it with us! :D

[heatherlsi]

Thanks for the post driftwood. My girls love butterflies - we have a few plants in our garden that get pretty heavy butterfly patronage in the fall - the girls run out and check on them each day. Are there butterflies at bacab or is there another place that has them?

[driftwood]

. . . as my own first visit will begin on January 5, 2008. But the focus of your interest is entitled "Wild Wings Butterfly House at Bacab Eco Adventure Park," so I feel it is safe to infer that you will be on the grounds. A butterfly house is necessary as birds have a way of eatin' 'em all up if there is not some interference to their appetites--certainly a couple of small birds that found their way into the netted enclosure in St. Martin had in a brief time put some paper dolls into the wings of the intended residents. If indeed there are "over fifty species of birds" enjoying the facilities of Bacab, the lepidopterist-in-chief must spend much of her day beating them off with a stick.

 

The other good news is that there are many gorgeous exotic flowers to be seen, as many species of the colorful insects are diffident of the fresh oranges and ripe bananas, and will only feed on "the real thing," whatever their personal Coca-Cola may be. What a wonderful thing you are doing for your children! But of course we all knew you are a great Mom! And you will enjoy it as well--don't forget your camera! :D If you should care to write to me at dreynolds@aol.com, I would be happy to send you some butterfly photographs I took on St. Martin--but they are rather large files, so I would hope you have a high-speed connection. They are pretty, though.