ASHLEY

It's all in the Name:

Ashley’s Butterfly Celebration was inspired by and is named in honor of a young girl named Ashley Muehlenbeck from the Birch Run community. Born with Spina Bifida, Ashley also acquired Juvenile Rheumatiod Arthritis at the young age of four. Confined to a wheelchair since age five, Ashley nonetheless managed to keep a positive attitude. Determined to reach her goals in life Ashley worked very hard at school, and had many active hobbies. Her favorite hobby was her love for butterflies. In the summer she loved to hunt for Monarch caterpillars from her wheelchair. She and her family raised them from tiny caterpillars and then set them free as butterflies. Ashley also created many drawings with butterflies as the subject. Sadly, Ashley passed away June 2004, but it is hoped that this project, inspired by Ashley, will encourage learning and community involvement in other youths and adults throughout mid-Michigan.

What is ABC?

Rotarians develop service projects that address many of today’s critical issues. While considering the focus of their centennial project for the Birch Run Rotary Club they were inspired by a young lady, named Ashley, to focus on both education and the environment by creating a butterfly house in our community.

When the butterfly house needed a place to call home, it was with much excitement that the zoo agreed to provide land on zoo grounds, staffing, educational programs and yearly upkeep for the butterfly house. The zoo receives around 9000 school children each year, and 35000 visitors and we look forward to teaching these guests about an insect that is both unique and beautiful, the butterfly. The butterfly house is not just for education. It will also be a serene place to come face to face with one of natures most beautiful insect.

Fun Butterfly Facts

Insects make up roughly 75% of the animal kingdom. Though there are many types of insects the butterfly is one of the best when it comes to education. The butterfly is a bright and colorful insect, and even people who claim not to like bugs frequently make exceptions for the beautiful butterflies.

But beyond their general acceptance by the population they are also very interesting insects and pose many opportunities for education. To name a few:

* Butterflies go through a very interesting life cycle known as complete metamorphosis. The stages of their life cycle include: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

* One type of butterfly, the monarch, migrates west every fall, to their wintering grounds in California and Mexico

* Butterflies have very specific patterns on their wings designed to camouflage or to intimidate

* Butterflies help pollinate flowers while they eat