Butterfly Sanctuary a Big Hit With the La Cruz Kids Club John Whitten - Amigos de La Cruz
December 15, 2021

The Kids Club children enjoyed a special treat before Christmas vacation, when we traveled to Rancho Tierra Madre, the home to the butterfly sanctuary "Mariposario Jardin Magico."

Located about 20 minutes east of Puerto Vallarta, the Rancho also has a number of animals both wild and domesticated; ducks, geese, herons, chickens, turtles, and goats. They also have camping and temazcales (sweat lodges) available on the site.

During the day, the children were taken for a tour of the grounds learning about the variety of flora and fauna found there. Christian, the resident guide and caretaker/owner was a wealth of knowledge, answering the multitude of questions from the kids.

After a picnic and some play time, we enjoyed the highlight of the day, the butterfly enclosure. The enclosure provides a safe environment to protect and breed the butterflies that are endemic to the area. Some of the species include the swallowtail, reina, labyrintho, julia, speyeria, galleta, zebra longwing, and red banded butterflies just to name a few.



The sanctuary has many of the plants and flowers that they feed on as well as educational signs and diagrams. The children were able to see the life cycle of the butterflies firsthand. The breeding program not only provides a habitat for the butterflies, but also releases a number of the adults into the wild each year to continue fortifying the natural populations.

It was a wonderful experience for all the kids, one that they remember for a lifetime. If you are interested in visiting the butterflies and the ranch visit their website for more information.

Bucerias Colegio Del Valle Students Teach Ecology



We also had a special project with students from the high school in Bucerias, Colegio Del Valle. Students Karen Montejo, Melissa Escobar y Mariana Becerra visited us to present an activity on ecology and took the children around town, the marina, and the beach to clean up garbage and study what types of garbage are the biggest problem in La Cruz.

The students learned a lot and are now acting as ecology stewards to help keep their town clean and educate family and friends about the importance of properly disposing of trash.

This content was submitted by a member of the community. We'd like to hear from you, too! To share stories, photos, video or events, please send them here.

  Learn about Amigos de La Cruz

  Learn about Butterfly Sanctuary Jardin Magico