In all, some 15,000 butterflies will be released during the Montreal Botanical Garden's 10-week "Butterflies Go Free" event. On any given day, 1,500 to 2,000 butterflies will be present in the main greenhouse. Sunny days offer a better show, as the butterflies will be more active. What to wear? Bright colors like red and sky blue should attract any number of species. And certain perfumes, colognes and fruit-based shampoos will attract the creatures — just don't overdo it.
The Montreal Botanical Garden is at 4101 Sherbrooke St. E. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. The garden is also open the Monday after Easter, April 5. Weekends and Easter week often see a heavy visitor turnout.
Low-season admission through May 15 for non-Quebec residents is $14 for adults, $10.50 for seniors and students, $7 for youths 5 to 17 and $2 for children 2 to 4. Municipal parking costs $10 for the day. For more information call (514) 872-1400 or visit http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/jardin.
MONTREAL — Imagine existing side-by-side with dinosaurs.
Butterflies did.
The Montreal Botanical Garden presents the 13th edition of "Butterflies Go Free," held indoors at the main exhibition greenhouse through April 25. This year's event highlights the fragile ecosystems of the butterflies with the theme "On the Wings of Biodiversity." The theme complements 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity designated by the United Nations.
"It's interesting to visit the event this year because of the 1.8 million known species of plants and animals in the world, almost 10 percent are butterflies," said Botanical Garden marketing and communications director Francois Ouellet.
There are 175,000 species of butterflies alone, he said.
"That's one in 10."
As if on cue, a colorful blue morpho butterfly landed on Ouellet's right shoulder as if to eavesdrop on his conversation.
FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS
While the numbers are daunting to consider, and if you feel there's safety in numbers, think again. With urban expansion, climate change and pollution, fragile ecosystems — and the species that call these ecosystems home — are disappearing at an alarming rate.
"We are right now facing the extinction of many species," Ouellet said. "And when a species can't adapt to a specific environment, they simply disappear."
He referenced the "Sixth Extinction," the major phase of extinction biologists currently feel the planet is encountering. There indeed have been five other major extinction periods in this planet's lifetime, including the one that saw the last of dinosaurs.
While those animals didn't survive, butterflies did — and they've been on this planet for 190 million years now.
"But what's different this time is that the rate of disappearance has increased dramatically in just the past 100 years," Ouellet said.
Consider the world's appetite for the likes of bananas and coffee, he said. A bigger appetite means more room is needed to grow these cash-popular crops. That means the infringement and sometimes disappearance of neighboring fragile ecosystems. What's found in those disappearing ecosystems? The host plants of butterflies. And butterflies only thrive and survive on certain host plants.
"Butterflies are very selective about where they lay their eggs," Ouellet said.
ACT NOW
Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillar eats the leaves of that particular host plant. Later in life, when the caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, it will only eat the nectar of a particular plant's flowers as well.
"Eliminate the host plant and you eventually eliminate that butterfly species," Ouellet said. "That's why biodiversity is very critical. It can recover, but it takes millions of years. So we have to act now."
The Botanical Garden practices what it preaches. Since about 2000, the garden has not used harsh pesticides and has offered green gardening workshops.
A bit of education goes a long way, too, Ouellet said. Of the 150,000 visitors who attended the 2009 "Butterflies Go Free" event, about two-thirds were school-age children. In addition, butterflies happen to be colorful vibrant ambassadors to the bug world. C'mon, who doesn't like a butterfly? But they're not just there for our amusement.
"We hope the visit makes people proactive in their own neighborhoods," Ouellet said. "Remember, when you lose a species, it's gone forever."
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