By Jaira Poole
The last day to catch the Lubbock Science Spectrum’s “Butterflies Alive!” exhibit is June 9.
James Nesmith, administrative manager for the Science Spectrum, explained how much attention the exhibit has gained with the public.
“Depending on the day, whether we have school field trips here or not, we could vary from having 200 to 300 visitors at the exhibit or up to 1,000,” Nesmith said. “This is one of the most popular traveling exhibitions that we’ve had.”
Nesmith said the Science Spectrum has hosted this exhibition before, and this is their third time bringing it back. Prior to this year, the exhibit was featured in 2013 and 2016.
Ryan Pryor, a visitor of the exhibit, described what he saw upon walking into the display.
“The first thing I noted was how warm and humid it was,” Pryor said. “It’s clear they really took steps to accommodate the habitats of the insects themselves.”
According to the Science Spectrum’s website, the butterflies are encased in a flight house defined as a type of structure similar to a greenhouse. The space is about 3,000 square feet, and the butterflies and moths fly freely throughout the enclosure.
While the exhibit has a steady turnout, there has been some discussion surrounding the butterflies and the proposed border wall.
According to the North American Butterfly Association, the border wall will increase flooding, wipe out a large amount of habitats and host plants for butterflies, and create competition for resources the butterflies need.
Nesmith explained why there should be less concern about the issue.
“Even if a border wall was 30 or 40 feet tall, which it probably wouldn’t even be that tall, it wouldn’t have a negligent effect because the butterflies would be able to fly over it,” Nesmith said. “It wouldn’t make any concerning difference.”
Allie Shelton, local volunteer and intern for the Science Spectrum, expressed what it is like working during the exhibition.
“I get to interact with a lot of children and adults when they visit,” Shelton said while adjusting plants. “The butterflies land on me all the time, and kids find it so fascinating. It’s kind of amusing.”
Shelton said she has interned at the Science Spectrum for a semester, and the last two months have been the most interactive for her.
“I’m happy to intern here, because I get to see all of these special exhibits up close,” Shelton said. “This butterfly exhibit is a good way to bring different portions of the community together.”
For more information, visit the Science Spectrum website or call 745-2525.
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