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History of the Panhandle Butterfly House

When the Navarre Chamber of Commerce created a Nature Walk at Navarre Park, Jack and Fonda Wetherell persuaded the Chamber to add a butterfly house.

With the help of the Chamber, Santa Rosa Clean Community System, Inc., UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension, Florida Master Gardeners, garden clubs, businesses and community volunteers, the Panhandle Butterfly House became a reality. It first opened on Memorial Day, 1997.

The Panhandle Butterfly House was built (and torn down and rebuilt in 2003) ENTIRELY through volunteer labor. Following hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005) it underwent extensive repairs.

The "original" Panhandle Butterfly House opened in 1997

Planting a "brick" in the pathway of the original Butterfly House in 2002.

In 2003 the original Butterfly House is torn down so a new, stronger version can be erected.

The original Butterfly House and the office/work area are all removed from the site.

Building the New Panhandle Butterfly House 2003

Damage from Hurricane Ivan 2004

2007

2008

Volunteers get the Panhandle Butterfly House ready for the 2008 season ... view this YouTube video.

2009

April 17 is Opening Day!

Photos of our April 17, 2009 Opening Day Ceremonies

More Opening Day Photos on YouTube

June 2009 - Our reception area building gets a new roof!

Thanks to the generosity of Carroll Construction and Pettinato Construction our reception building receives a new, 50 year roof.

Link for "the story" and lots of photos.

August 2009 - The vivarium roof is replaced.

A beautiful quilt is donated to accent the Panhandle Butterfly House reception area.

This beautiful quilt depicts the Panhandle Butterfly House, vivarium and gardens.  The quilt label reads:

            Donated by F.O.L'S (Quilters of Navarre, Fl).  Designed by Rebecca Wilson, Quilted by Pattie Bonnell. Made special for the Panhandle Butterfly House in Navarre, Fl.  Quote:  "The caterpillar does the work and the butterfly gets all the publicity" - George Carlin.

Our 3rd annual Monarch Madness in October, 2009, was a great success!!

Our 2009 Monarch Madness was held October 9-11 and featured educational workshops, youth tours, displays/exhibits, kid’s crafts, and monarch tagging. Over 2,700 people attended this 3rd Annual Butterfly Festival. Theresa Friday, Santa Rosa County Extension Faculty, volunteers and staff worked several weeks to rear approximately 200 monarchs in order to allow children to participate in the tagging program. Children were taught the importance of butterflies and allowed to assist in placing a small tag on the wings of their monarch. In addition, participants attending learning stations designed to teach the life stages of butterflies were certified a “Junior Lepidopterist” and allowed to release a butterfly into the vivarium.

Checkout more photos on Facebook.

Two Jr. Lepidopterists and Suzanne Dawson, from Molino Fl - winner of the opportunity drawing quilt.

2010

April and May Docents training classes prepare folks to assist visitors to our exhibit.

Photos of participants and teachers.  You can be a docent too!  Next class is in June.  Contact us now.

Click this link for lots of photos from the Dedication of our great new Gazebo!

April 29, Dedication of Blair Blage Memorial Educational Gazebo

For additional insight into the Panhandle Butterfly House's history review our Newsletters.

 

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