Spread your wings to Blenheim’s Butterfly House

Inspired by Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, which runs until 6th August, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire is reminding visitors about its revamped Butterfly House this summer. The ever-popular attraction has undergone a huge transformation over the last six months, making it a fun-filled visit for the whole family. 

Alongside new technology to help monitor temperature, humidity and butterfly hatch rates, the Butterfly House has recently welcomed 38 new species of tropical butterflies. With new residents such as ‘Red Lacewing’, ‘Emerald Peacock’ and the amazing ‘Blue Wave’, the Butterfly House is filled with a myriad of bright and beautiful creatures. Take a walk around the world surrounded by butterflies and plants from all over the globe. 

The Big Butterfly Count aims to help scientists understand the impact of climate change on our most-loved butterflies. Last year’s record temperatures, heatwave and drought caused some of the plants that caterpillars feed on to wither and die. To help scientists discover what the ongoing impact of this extreme weather has been, the public are being asked to spend 15 minutes in any sunny spot and record the number and type of butterflies they see.

Butterflies are indicators of a healthy natural environment – with half of Britain’s butterfly species already threatened or near threatened with extinction, it’s never been more important to understand how our insects are responding to the changing climate and to take action to protect them.

To book tickets for Blenheim Palace and Gardens, including the Butterfly House, visit https://www.blenheimpalace.com/visitus.Tickets are £22.50 for the park and gardens, or for £35 you can buy a pass to the palace, park and gardens that is valid for a whole year, enabling return visits to fully immerse yourself in the gardens as they transform throughout the year. 

For more information and to take part in the Big Butterfly Count, simply visit www.bigbutterflycount.org or download the free Big Butterfly Count app.

About Blenheim Palace

Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Set in over 2,000 acres of ‘Capability’ Brown landscaped parkland and designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style, it was financed by Queen Anne following the first Duke of Marlborough’s triumph over the French in the War of the Spanish Succession. Blenheim Palace is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill.

About the Big Butterfly Count

Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count is the largest citizen-science project of its kind and is a positive way that everyone can help. As well as contributing to important scientific data collection, taking part in the Count is a great way to enjoy time outdoors, connect with nature and have fun.

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden

Raise and release your very own butterflies. Please allow between 3 and 5 weeks for the cycle to complete. Caterpillars are available from March to mid-September only, however you can pre-order out of season. Standing at 30cm tall, the butterfly habitat is a reusable, cylindrical mesh container perfect for up-close butterfly viewing. Also included are a feeding pipette and colourful instruction guide.

£20.99

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