The Great Elephant Migration ... And a few million butterflies
There's an elephant in the room and 100 of them on the beach. Seriously. Remember how after Hurricane Ian, flocks of pink flamingos migrated to Florida? Well, it's not exactly like that, but it's true that a herd of Indian elephants, from magnificent 15-foot tuskers to four-foot babies, is currently on the move toward Florida, where they'll be pasturing around Miami Beach for 10 days beginning November 22. Right now, they're traveling through traditional indigenous lands along the eastern seaboard, including Seminole and Miccosukee lands.
The elephants were handcrafted by 200 Indian artisans using individual living elephants as models, in a global collaboration with contemporary artists and cultural organizations. The goal is to delight and inspire, while raising funds to support human/wildlife coexistence and conservation work around the world. The public is invited at no charge to mingle and coexist with the herd before they rest up for their cross-country spring migration to the Blackfeet Nation Buffalo Pastures in Montana. It's said that those who listen closely will hear the trumpeting.
The Great Elephant Migration began last summer on the grounds of several Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. It continued south to the cobblestoned streets of New York City's Meatpacking District, where the radical idea of wild elephants wandering city streets, coexisting with humans, reflects reality in India even today.
To reach the $10 million fundraising goal, the elephants are for sale at $8,000 to $22,000, depending on size. Each elephant is made with the stalks of an invasive weed wrapped around a steel rebar frame. thegreatelephantmigration.org
The Elephant Sanctuary
Hohenwald, Tennessee
Only two true U.S. elephant sanctuaries simulate Asian and African elephants' natural habitats. The Elephant Sanctuary on 2,700 acres in rural Tennessee is the largest, providing rescued elephants haven and a herd for life. Guests don't mingle with the elephants (nor do the keepers), but through live EleCams in the Discovery Center, visitors can observe them living their best elephant life. elephants.com
Butterflies on the move
Elephants are the world's largest land animals. An adult weighs over six tons, with a lifespan of 60 years. The monarch butterfly weighs a fraction of an ounce with a lifespanas short as a week. Yet right now, millions of these fragile-but-resilient creatures are migrating thousands of miles to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico. So are throngs of tourists. For a more laid-back experience, consider National Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz, California. Tens of thousands of them are arriving weekly to shelter until spring in the eucalyptus trees of Monarch Grove. parks.ca.gov
Year-round butterfly conservatories
Callaway Gardens
Pine Mountain, GA
The Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, 60 miles south of Atlanta, is the second oldest in the U.S. and one of the most conservation focused in the world. Up to 2,000 butterflies at a time live in the expansive glass-enclosed environment. They are purchased in the chrysalis stage from family-run butterfly farms in economically challenged tropical countries. Go during the holidays for the lights and activities. callawaygardens.com
Butterfly World
Coconut Creek, FL
Jewel-toned butterflies, sweet little parakeets and budgies, tropical butterfly houses, outdoor butterfly gardens, and a butterfly farm comprise this family-friendly attraction near Fort Lauderdale. It's reputedly the world's largest butterfly garden. butterflyworld.com
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Miami, FL
Hundreds of butterflies representing more than 40 species flutter about in the lush Wings of the Tropics butterfly garden and metamorphosis lab. They are only one small part of this magnificent 83-acre estate that includes a children's garden, a rainforest, and seasonal experiences in Miami's historic Coral Gables district. fairchildgarden.org
Village Walk Butterfly Garden
Bonita Springs, FL
Here in our own backyard, 11 lovely gardens support more than a dozen species of butterflies and are favorite spots for hummingbirds and songbirds. Visitors can walk the flowery paths or step right into the gardens for close-up encounters. villagewalkgardenclub.com
Why Choose?
The Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville has an internationally acclaimed and impressively displayed fossil collection, including remains of a 5-million-year-old elephant graveyard from a recent Florida dig. There's also a butterfly rainforest, a way-cool interactive discovery center, and one of the world's largest lepidoptera (moth and butterfly) collections. Most exhibits are free. floridamuseum.ufl.edu
Henry
Dominating the rotunda of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. is the once-proud 11-ton African Bush Elephant donated by a game hunter in the 1950s. Understanding was different then, and the exhibit has evolved to include education about elephant ecology and poaching. Visitors love the "elephant voices," intense vibrations by which elephants communicate miles apart. naturalhistory.si.edu/exhibits/african-bush-elephant