The Big Clean - Finale

On Saturday September 26, Pacific Science Center’s Tropical Butterfly House was reopened to the public! After two weeks of closure, visitors will find a brighter, cleaner and more sparkly habitat for our butterflies.




Thanks to the heroic efforts of Horticulturists Jeff Leonard and Maida Ingalls, Discovery Corp Intern Ileana and many other staff members. Many hours of plant pruning, vacuuming, scrubbing and washing the garden surfaces are evident. All of our 1000 watt full spectrum light-bulbs were replaced to give the garden a natural daylight feel throughout the year.



The biggest job, of course, was replacing the netting that encloses the garden. The netting is essential as it is the secondary containment structure in the event of a breach in the glass windows. Life Science Manager, Sarah Moore explains the scope of the project like this:

“Imagine making a bed to hospital standards. Only the bed is 4000 square feet of surface area; and vertical instead of horizontal; and 15 feet high; with plants in it; then throw in some thumbtacks here and there to snag on the blankets. Getting nets to hang perpendicular and straight around all the obstacles is a fussy laborious process. It looks great now that it’s done!”

Frequent guests should notice a slightly different look in the Tropical Butterfly House. First of all, the new netting is orange! But as Sarah points out, “The new netting and lights give the garden a crispness. Pruning - in some cases removal - of a lot of plant material gives other plants a chance to show off a little. You know how products sometimes advertise ‘new and improved, same original formula’ or a similar oxymoron? The butterfly house cleanup somehow manages to actually embody that dynamic!”



Now is a great time to visit the Tropical Butterfly House! In addition to the fresh environment, the emerging window is full and daily releases will soon bring the butterfly population back up to it standard numbers. Also, keep in mind that with fewer school groups visiting this time of year, the butterfly house is a perfect place for a relaxing visit.
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Fresh Sheet - September 25, 2009

“Fresh Sheet” is our weekly shipment report of pupae on display in the emerging window. In preparation for the reopening of our freshly cleaned Tropical Butterfly House, the emerging window will contain nearly one thousand pupae! Visit Pacific Science Center's Tropical Butterfly House and meet our newest residents.


Surinam

40 - Anartia amathea (Scarlet Peacock)
40 - Battus polydamas (Polydamus Swallowtail)
80 - Biblis hyperia (Red Rim)
50 - Caligo memnon (Owl Butterfly)
10 - Catonephele numilia (Numilia)
15 - Catonephele orites (Orange-banded shoemaker)
10 - Colobura dirce (Mosaic butterfly)
30 - Dryas julia (Julia Longwing)
10 - Heliconius erato (Small Postman)
10 - Heliconius melpomene (Postman)
10 - Heraclides thoas (Giant Swallowtail)

Phillipines

30 - Cethosia biblis (Red Lacewing)
17 - Danaus chrysippus (Plain Tiger)
20 - Doleschalia bisaltide (Autumn Leaf)
10 - Graphium agamemnon (Tailed Jay)
80 - Hypolimnas bolina (Great Eggfly)
78 - Idea Leuconoe (Paper Kite)
14 - Pachliopta kotzeboea (Pink Rose)
50 - Papilio lowii (Sunset Swallowtail)
50 - Papilio palinurus (Banded Peacock)
14 - Papilio polytes (Polite swallowtail)
50 - Papilio rumanzovia (Crimson Swallowtail)
24 - Parthenus sylvia (Blue Clipper)

London Pupae Supply – Los Angeles

05 - Charaxes brutus (White-barred Charaxes)
05 - Charaxes candiope (Green-veined Charaxes)
10 - Charaxes cithaeron (Blues-spotted Charexes)
05 - Charaxes etesipe
05 - Charaxes lasti (Silver Striped Charaxes)
04 - Charaxes pollux (Black-bordered Charaxes)
10 - Charaxes protoclea (Flame-bordered Charexes)
05 - Charaxes varanes (Pearl Charexes)
10 - Graphium agamemnon (Tailed Jay)
03 - Hypolimnas bolina (Great Eggfly)
40 - Papilio dardanus (Mocker Swallowtail)
30 - Papilio helenus (Red Helen)
10 - Papilio lowii (Sunset Swallowtail)
10 - Papilio memnon (Great Mormon)
10 - Papilio rumanzovia (Crimson Swallowtail)
20 - Parthenos sylvia (Blue Clipper)
06 - Tirumala limniace

Carolina Biological

35 - Antheraea polyphemus Polyphemus moth


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The Big Clean - Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool

This week was the perfect time to carry out our annual cleaning of the Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool. Normally this operation is performed during Pacific Science Center’s Bubble Festival, which is a good time to close the tidepool to the public because of the possibility of soap contamination. However, this year the Life Sciences department took advantage of the two week closure so as not to inconvenience the public with this rather messy procedure.





In preparation for the “full clean,” supplies are collected: scrub brushes, sponges, shovels, scoopers, rakes, trash bags, empty five-gallon buckets, new sand, and lots of elbow grease. Meanwhile, fresh salt water is mixed and circulated in the mixing vat. During the cleaning process, we replace about two-thirds of the water, leaving the remainder to stabilize healthy bacterial growth.



As soon as the pool starts draining, everyone begins to round up the animals that are not attached to the walls and floors of the exhibit. Snails and chitons are left attached and sea anemones, not attached to removable rocks, hang around while the scrubbing proceeds.






While the pool drains, unusable rocks, shells and sand are placed in trash bags for disposal. Algae are scrubbed off rocks, screens, gratings and inside PVC pipes with existing tide pool water. New sand is poured all around the tide pool floor.

With the exhibit looking like new, the freshly mixed saltwater is carefully checked several times for proper temperature, pH and salinity. Only then are the animals placed back in the tidepool. This is an exciting time for Animal Caretakers because they can rearrange where the animals and their props go as they return them to the exhibit. On your next visit, look for some of our less noticeable fish, now living towards the front of the pool. The animals may move over time, but for now they’re in a great position for fun interaction.

Now they wait for your visit. Come see the clean Puget Sound Saltwater Tide Pool when Pacific Science Center reopens to the public September 26.

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The Big Clean - Week 1

Pacific Science Center is closed to the public until September 25 but that doesn’t mean that the Life Sciences staff is on vacation. On the contrary!




First of all, we are taking advantage of this closure to thoroughly clean the Tropical Butterfly House. Horticulturists Jeff Leonard and Maida Ingalls are dramatically pruning back the foliage, amending the soil, planting and transplanting. With the help of Discovery Corp Horticulture Intern Ileana and other staff members, they are cleaning, painting, changing out the day-light light bulbs and, for the first time in 5 years, completely replacing the netting.

Replacing the unobtrusive netting that surrounds the interior and ceiling of the Tropical Butterfly House is the most challenging task we face. The netting is our secondary containment structure while the windows serve as our primary containment structure. Should a window break, the net keeps the butterflies from escaping. Butterfly containment is our most important focus!

Over time, holes have appeared in the netting because of light damage, foliage growth, and just plain aging. After 5 years, we are no longer able to keep up with mending these holes and therefore, new netting has been ordered. Over 500 square yards of 1/4 inch netting material will be fitted, connected and hung during the closure weeks.


Although the pupae purchases were suspended until September 21, there are still quite a few butterflies flying around the Tropical Butterfly House. Staff is busily cleaning around the long-lived lepidoptera.

The horticulture team has been putting in long hours and hard labor all week in an effort to have the Tropical Butterfly House look fantastic by the time we reopen. We are very thankful for all their hard work!

Check back as we keep you up-to-date on the progress of The Big Clean.

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