Flutter By Traditional Geocache

This is a traditional cache located slightly off a trail around the park at Ridenour Lake in Nitro, WV. There are multiple places to park to access this geocache. Happy Hunting! 

~A&C

This geocache is located slightly off the trail around the lake. Please be gentle with the cache container and be mindful of how it is placed. You only need to unscrew to get to the log, not take the whole cache away from its hiding spot. Please bring your own writing utensil. 

I recently visited the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History and had the opportunity to go inside the live butterfly pavillion. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have had. In addition to seeing and learning about hundreds of butterflies, I was able to capture photographs of many different kinds of butterflies. I also had a huge butterfly land on my forehead and sit there for about five minutes. Every year I do a butterfly unit and order caterpillars for my Kindergarteners to watch transform into Painted Lady butterflies. The whole process is simply amazing to observe. This cache is in honor of my love of nature and my love of butterflies! 

Just a few butterfly facts:

• Butterflies are insects.

• A butterfly’s lifecycle is made up of four parts, egg, larva (caterpillars), pupa (chrysalis) and adult.

• Butterflies attach their eggs to leaves with a special glue.

• Most caterpillars are plant eaters (herbivores).

• Fully grown caterpillars attach themselves to a suitable twig or leaf before shedding their outside layer of skin to reveal a hard skin underneath known as a chrysalis.

• An adult butterfly will eventually emerge from the chrysalis where it will wait a few hours for its wings to fill with blood and dry, before flying for the first time.

• Butterflies can live in the adult stage from anywhere between a week and a year, depending on the species.

• Butterflies have four wings.

• Butterflies often have brightly coloured wings with unique patterns made up of tiny scales.

• Most butterflies feed on nectar from flowers.

• Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet.

• Scientists estimate that there are between 15000 and 20000 different species of butterfly.

• Birdwing butterflies have large, angular wings and fly in a similar way to birds.

• Monarch butterflies are known for their long migration. Every year monarch butterflies will travel a great distance (sometimes over 4000 km), females will lay eggs and a new generation of monarchs will travel back, completing the cycle.