What are the hours for the butterfly wing?

Reiman Gardens’ Butterfly Wing is open for three seasons of the highest Garden

attendance, spring, summer and fall from April 1 to October 31. The Wing is

open seasonally, when the butterflies are most active, 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Why will it be closed in the winter this year?

Reiman Gardens has to make $200,000 in cuts this year to balance its budget.

Revenue from membership and attendance has stabilized, but slipped greatly

from the first years the Conservatory Complex opened as is normal for most

facilities when they open a new feature. Additionally, the expenses for utilities,

maintenance and repairs have crippled the Gardens ability to fund flowers and

butterfly displays. After a thorough review of attendance, it’s clear that cutting

winter features impacts the fewest guests. Yet there is a lot to see in the

Gardens during the winter, the conservatory will be open and it’s always warm

and beautiful in there, and the outside gardens have much to offer too.

What does it cost to operate the butterfly wing on an annual basis?

It costs approximately $250,000 a year to run the Butterfly Wing. This includes

one full-time entomologist, two part-time lab staff, two trained volunteers/staff to

interpret and keep butterflies within exhibit (as required by USDA), one part-time

horticulturist to water and care for plants, a continual rotation of nectar plants, a

half-time volunteer coordinator to schedule 50 volunteers weekly (200 monthly),

paid staff to fill in when volunteers cannot be found, utilities, and an effective

Integrated Pest Management program (we never use chemicals in the glass

houses). This facility needs care seven days a week to release butterflies that

emerge daily in the lab and to water plant materials. This takes hourly and fulltime

help year round. For this upcoming year we only have $115,000 for this

wonderful attraction, yet we are trying to stretch that over 7 months.

$ 25,000 utilities

75,000 chrysalids

15,000 plants

5,000 IPM

120,000 all staff, students and benefits

10,000 supplies and administration (for permits)

$250,000

Where does operating revenue come from for the gardens?

Reiman Gardens’ annual budget should be $2.1 million for its size, visitor and

ISU class needs. Currently, the operating budget is $1.6 million, with

approximately $700,000 from Iowa State University’s General Fund and the

balance of over $900,000 from Reiman Gardens’ donors, CoHorts, guests,

visiting school groups, those booking private rental events, sales of butterfly

specimen boxes, plant and card sales etc.

How many butterflies are inside the butterfly wing when its open?

There are 500 to 1,000 butterflies in flight each day. Reiman Gardens has

applied for permits from the USDA to exhibit tropical species and holds one of

the largest permits in the country. Staff has to fill-out extensive paperwork and to

keep these permits up-to-date. Currently, its permits allow for one of the most

diverse collections in the United States. Each butterfly chrysalid costs $2.65 to

get from its native country and into the Butterfly Wing.

Will the butterflies remain in the wing or will it be closed entirely and the

butterflies removed?

Since butterflies live on average about two weeks in the adult stage these

individual butterflies will fly until they are gone. New butterfly chrysalis shipments

will stop at the end of October. We will begin receiving shipments again in midlate

March and re-open the Wing on April 1, 2008

How many people visit the gardens annually?

Approximately 100,000 people visit Reiman Gardens each year.

How do you think closing the wing will affect the number of visitors this

winter?

Certainly closing our doors will limit the number of visitors and will impact the

Gardens, but we are closing on days when we have had the fewest visitors to

balance our budget. Reiman Gardens’ business model cannot include deficit

spending. Although there will be a lot of activities at Reiman Gardens in the

winter. We are planning several special events and education programs. These

include the popular Botany Lunches, Arrangement of the Month, Blossoms of

Light festival, plus being open on the Friday AND SATURDAY after

Thanksgiving, so guests may do some holiday shopping and view the

Conservatory display. There is a lot to see in the winter garden, and many enjoy

the lovely winter walks here. The outdoor gardens are still open and there is still

beauty to be seen and enjoyed in the winter landscape, including colorful bark,

persistent fruit and seed heads, grasses, very early or late flowering plants and

all the beautiful rose hips.