My youngest turned 5 this Monday and per her request, we spent the day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, Georgia because all this sweet girl wanted to do on her special day was visit with the butterflies. Thankfully the nature center was hosting a butterfly encounter during the month of July!  This exhibit allows you to get up close and personal with hundreds of native butterflies surrounded by colorful nectar plants. We have been to the Tennessee Aquarium several times and the butterfly encounter there is always a big hit with the kids, so we already knew what to expect and were ecstatic to have this experience.

Before entering the butterfly encounter, an employee will explain the rules which generally consist of not picking up or touching the butterflies. You are encouraged to use these sponge brushes (which is soaked in nectar water) and catch the butterflies by placing them next to one and allowing them to step onto it. This was an amazing idea in my opinion and the kids were able to observe many of the butterflies eat from the sponges.

There were so many monarch butterflies and they were the easiest to attract to the sponge brushes!

There were several special moments where the butterflies would fly and land directly onto you, the kids were always over the moon when this occurred!

A very confident butterfly whispered just hanging out with her new butterfly friend!

Loving this close up of the buttery about to eat from the sponge!

Here are a few more pictures of the monarchs! Again… very social little butterflies that we had no trouble attracting to the sponges!

 

 

Even big brother found the butterfly encounter to be a wonderful experience! Of course… he would never admit it, hehe!

 

 

Here are some closeup shots of the butterflies, hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While this amazing butterfly encounter only lasts the month of July, there are always fun and exciting events to be enjoyed at the Chattahoochee Nature Center all year round! Visitors can explore the Discovery Center,  go on the Wildlife Walk, as well as explore the woodland trails, River Boardwalk, gardens, and rotating exhibits

CNC is a private non-profit Nature Center located on the Chattahoochee River in Roswell located on a beautiful site comprised of 127 acres of native plants and gardens showcasing the beauty of Georgia. The Discovery Center, with the southeast’s only Nature Exchange, the Cowie Weiss theater and hands on exhibits that feature live non-releaseable native wildlife; plus the River Boardwalk, Woodland Trails and Wildlife Walks are home to over 50 species of wildlife. For almost 40 years, this facility has continued to grow and reach out to citizens as a place to explore new ideas and expand their awareness of the natural world. They also have canoe trips, birthday parties, school programs, scout programs, group tours, private rental facilities and something for all ages.

 

One of our favorite things to do at CNC is to go on nature walks, they have a great trail along the Chattahoochee River! We spotted some wildlife and even witnessed a crane flying across the sky!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nature walk to the Chattahoochee Rive is very family friendly and for all skill levels, the trails are even stroller friendly!

 

A rare photo of all three kids… these are not as easy to come by as one may think!

If you are in the area and would like to visit the Chattahoochee Nature Center I highly encourage it!

There are MANY beautiful places to get some family photos, nature shots are some of my favorite!

 

There is also a small pond in the center of the nature center, check out the images below to get a glimpse at its beauty!

 

Now prepare to be spammed with more birthday photos!!!