BUTTERFLIES ALIVE
by Cody Chandler Hilton

The 2005 Butterflies Alive exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is a great place for kids and their parents to go for a fun day together. The Butterfly Pavilion is a big structure covered with netting, where lots of beautiful butterflies and moths can be seen close up. They hatch there and land on the flowers and plants, where they drink the nectar.

The species we saw there included the Monarch, Viceroy, Queen, Red Admiral and the Zebra long wing butterflies, and there were some nice moths too. There are guides who will tell you all about the butterflies your see, and they protect the butterflies from flying out of the pavilion. It is fun to be so close to the butterflies and take photos of them.

The Caterpillar Cafe has good hot dogs and chips for kids, and also has salads for grown ups to eat for lunch. This is a nice way for families to spend the day together learning about butterflies. You should put this on your calendar for next year so that you don't forget. You can find the dates at www.sbnature.org.

Thanks for reading my column, and next month I will be writing about the Ocean Museum on the Santa Barbara Wharf. You can write me at CodyHilton@aol.com.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE

Another great Harry Potter book is now available in your bookstore. According to our cub reporter Cody Chandler Hilton this is a great addition to its predecessors from the house of Harry Potter adventures.