The Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden at Assiniboine Park Zoo. (ELISHA DACEY / METRO NEWS)
The brand new Shirley Richardson Butterfly Garden was unveiled Thursday at Assiniboine Park Zoo.
The 2,000 square-foot garden will be located in the southwest section of the Zoo, adjacent to the newly-opened Toucan Ridge exhibit, and will open with over 500 Monarch and Painted Lady butterflies amongst a wide variety of colourful annual and perennial flowers. Another 200 butterflies (Black Swallow Tails and Red Admirals) will be added in the next two weeks.
“It’s a beautiful and serene space within the Zoo,” said Margaret Redmond, president and CEO of the Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “This is something completely new for Assiniboine Park and we think it’s going to be a huge hit for visitors of all ages.”
The garden gets its name from the family of Shirley Richardson, who has supported the zoo tremendously over the years.
“Their commitment to this project and their endorsement of our overall plans for the Park and Zoo mean a great deal to us and we’re very happy to honour Mrs. Richardson in such a fitting way,” Redwood added.
