Beyond the
Butterfly Garden
You can help butterflies!
Create a Butterfly Garden
Backyard butterfly gardens are a great way to provide food and shelter for local butterfly species and see some of nature’s jewels up close! Here are some tips on how to create a butterfly-friendly space:
- Plant native flowers to attract local butterflies. Wildflowers and even some weeds work, too!
- Select plants that bloom at different seasons—spring through fall—to attract butterflies for more months.
- Learn to love a few holes in your plants. Remember, today’s caterpillars are tomorrow’s butterflies, and caterpillars need to eat leaves to grow.
- Avoid using pesticides. Indiscriminate spraying kills all the insects in your garden, including valuable pollinators!
- Create a shallow-water gathering spot for male butterflies! Bury a bucket up to the rim, fill it with gravel or sand, and top it off with water.
- Provide open and shady spaces for butterflies to sunbathe or cool off. Butterflies and other insects need the sun’s help to regulate their body temperature.
- No yard space? Learn how to make a window box for butterflies!
We’re About Butterfly Conservation
We work in over 45 countries around the world, protecting wildlife and wild places. Our research has resulted in insect-friendly agricultural practices as well as the creation of protected areas for butterflies and a host of other animals at state, national, and global levels. Here are just a few examples of how our scientists took a big interest in some of the world’s smallest creatures.
In New York State:
We helped farmers develop agricultural practices compatible with protecting insects and other wildlife.
Across North America:
We supported studies of Monarch butterfly migration, which led to the establishment of protected areas for their overwintering sites, as well as to the development of management plans for the species’ long-term survival.
In Madagascar:
We studied butterflies as “environmental indicators”—species that show the first signs of a major shift in the health of a habitat. Our work led to the creation of Masoala Park, the largest wildlife reserve in Madagascar.
Your Guide to the Butterfly Garden
The Bronx Zoo Butterfly Garden is home to hundreds of butterflies, as well as other animals. Use this guide to identify and check off each one you see during your visit today!