On a recent "Girls Day Out" my daughter and I took a ride up Rt. 5 to the Magic Wings Conservatory and Gardens in South Deerfield, Mass. The conservatory is home to almost 4,000 native and tropical butterflies. These butterflies fly freely about and, surprisingly, there are very few casualties scattered about. My daughter and I were taken with all the vivid colors and textures of both the butterflies and plant life. We read that bright colors and bananas are supposed to attract butterflies and will increase the chances of butterfly-to-human contact. We were wearing brown that day and hadn't had any bananas; however we were lucky enough to have one of these little winged creatures land on us.... must have been the chocolate ice cream stained to our lips...you can get that there too!
The employees patrol the conservatory keeping things in check. They are very friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to answer questions and educate visitors on butterflies, other insects, and reptiles. I ran the other way when one employee brought out the bearded lizard... but I was cool with the fuzzy baby quail bobbling about place and the cute, exotic finches...I even braved peering into the living quarters of Igor, the conservatory's resident iguana...but I'd rather anything that slithers and zig zags be kept away from me. 
The conservatory is a great place to take the kids; it's very clean and is also wheelchair accessible. There's a cafeteria on site with a nice gift shop that manages to grab you on your way out. You can even purchase phari mantis eggs! We left with two sponges on a stick (butterfly feeders). It's a little pricey at $10 a head, but well worth it for the fascination and experience. For more information, hours, and pricing you can visit their website: www.magicwings.com
Written By : Jessica Layne
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