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For most of us, butterflies epitomize the pastoral image of the countryside in summer, an image in which reality and fantasy mingle. Their gracefulness, their seeming carefree attitude and their glorious colours make these creatures the ambassadors of the animal world. Tropical butterflies are undoubtedly the largest, most colourful, and most peculiar of all, as is the incredible variety of natural environments the regions they originate from present. The Naturospace butterfly house provides insights into the unsuspected beauty of the life cycle these winged masterpieces are the final stage of. Beyond their undeniable aesthetic quality, the observation of tropical butterflies draws us into an extremely interesting and largely unknown realm: that of the tropics. On that matter, the Naturoscope butterfly house will amaze you beyond your imagination. As soon as you enter the tropical forest area the damp equatorial climate takes you by surprise. Then the variety of plants, their shapes, their lushness, will carry you very far away beyond the seas. And the discovery does not end there since around the corner of the footpath the reasons to be surprised and amazed are many. So then, welcome to the Naturospace butterfly house in Honfleur, Normandy, for a great journey to the Equator... |
The Naturospace butterfly house is a unique and unusual place, ideal for families (even with young children), school groups and all nature lovers who wish to understand or quite simply gaze in wonder. Facilities are 100% wheelchair and buggy accessible.
Over a 200 metre footpath [218 yards], inside this covered and air-conditioned 1000m² site [11 000 Sq Ft], discoveries and travel occur in direct contact with nature. The visitor walks under the gallery of a “carbet”, a traditional Guyanese wooden hut, and finds himself carried thousands of kilometers away. He then discovers all the charms of an exotic setting amongst this luxuriant nature, with the butterflies flying freely around him.
The visit helps you become imbued with the unique forest atmosphere and its functioning. Special facilities provide ideal observation conditions which would be impossible to find out in the wild.
To keep a souvenir of this lasting journey, the Naturospace shop offers postcards, books, teas, jewellery, miscellaneous objects, games...
Just as its tropical flora and fauna, the Naturospace Butterfly House is constantly evolving. Whilst new species come and join the thousands of multi-coloured visitors already present, birds are born, flowers bedeck themselves with their finest petals...
In parallel, temporary exhibitions are regularly shown throughout the year on the theme of the tropical world, of exploration... The purpose is to guide and deepen one’s understanding of this natural environment by coming up with original events.
The Naturospace Butterfly House’s latest news is exceedingly rich; you are invited to follow it over the months under this heading.
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Tour length Reception and visit The Naturospace Butterfly garden is air-conditioned, and the temperature never goes above 30° C [86°F] even if it is warmer outside. Butterfly hatching can be seen mainly of a morning. |
| General press book (0.84 Mo) |
| Booklet (2.32 Mo) |
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The public can watch over fifty South-American, Asian, African and Oceanian species. These butterflies have come from breeding farms and are shipped from their native country in the state of chrysalises. The chrysalises are kept in a « hatching incubator » and every morning, you can witness the birth of new butterflies, the unfurling of their wings and their flying off into the glasshouse. As you wander along, you will come across the eggs belonging to such and such a species and the caterpillars on their mother plants. Signs draw attention to the vital activity the surrounding environment is bringing. |
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The public can watch over fifty South-American, Asian, African and Oceanian species. These butterflies have come from breeding farms and are shipped from their native country in the state of chrysalises. The chrysalises are kept in a « hatching incubator » and every morning, you can witness the birth of new butterflies, the unfurling of their wings and their flying off into the glasshouse. As you wander along, you will come across the eggs belonging to such and such a species and the caterpillars on their mother plants. Signs draw attention to the vital activity the surrounding environment is bringing. |
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Chinese Painted Quails are invaluable helpers. They help rid dense bedding plants and little garden nooks of woodlice, ants and other unwanted parasitic insects. Tiny chicks following their mother can be seen every year. Our latest newcomers at the Naturospace Butterfly House, the Gouldian Finch, are small granivorous birds native to North Australia. The size of a sparrow, their outstanding colours make them one of the finest jewels of the animal kingdom. Koi carps, fish of variegated colours, reach an impressive size. They are especially happy in their pond and each year spawn many carps. Children love feeding them with the granules available at the Shop. |
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Dream and exotic enthusiasts peacefully wander amid lush vegetation, and let their imagination carry them away as they follow the dances of richly coloured butterflies. They discover the wealth of the equatorial ecosystem by themselves. Complete freedom in this luxuriant nature enables unforgettable picture-taking: nuptial dance, mating of multicoloured lepidipterous insects that mingle with the whole variety of green colours of this spellbinding environment. All throughout the course, information signs draw attention to notable plants or else reveal the presence of caterpillars or chrysalises. On request, a specialist can also answer/meet the visitor’s curiosity/inquisitiveness |
« Discovery expeditions » are adapted to group expectations. A specialized guide offers a small presentation and remains at their disposal to answer questions. The minimum required for a group is 15 people.
For school groups, a visit is especially adapted to the educational objectives of school curriculums. All throughout their course, teachers stay by the side of their young pupils, who enjoy a presentation given by a specialized animator. The butterfly cycle as well as a lively description of the equatorial ecosystem are presented to pupils according to their level.
To plan your visit to the Naturospace butterfly house, our new educational guidebook is available...
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Opening hours - 2012 From February to end of November : From April 1 to September 30 : July and August for single individuals/admission : |
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Rates 2012
| INDIVIDUAL RATE Adults........................................................8.20 € Children (aged 3 to 14).........................6.40 € Families (2 adults + 3 children.).......32.00 € (6.40 € per person) |
GROUP RATES Group visitors (more than 15 people and up to 200 at the same time) Adults...........................................6.80 € (1 accompanying guide free per coach) School groups...........................5.10 € April to August (free admission for one adult per 8 nursery school children; 1 per 10 for the others) School groups...........................4.10 € the other months. |
 | The Naturospace Butterfly House follows the tropical season cycle, a world apart from France’s. Each period is conducive to new discoveries. When the cold winter and the long spring seasons take hold of Normandy, visitors can have a change of scenery by immersing themselves into this warm and damp atmosphere. Butterfly observation is helped by the pruning done during the few weeks we close, a time we devote to the maintenance and introduction of new plant species. Summer is marked by lushness, the variety of flowers and lepidopterous insects. The end of the busy high season gives way to a much more peaceful period more favourable to the wandering one must make the most of. The coming of autumn brings to the Naturospace Butterfly House not dead leaves but on the contrary abundance and wealth of vegetation which is at the height of its yearly development. It is indeed at that period that the tropical rainforest is most beautiful and that the change of scenery is most strongly felt. Many fruits are ripe (guavas, papayas, cocoa pods, carambola…), and flowers are also very plentiful. The butterflies can tell the difference and enjoy the abundance of natural nectar. Watching them fly from flower to flower is a real delight to the eyes. |
New butterfly species, animal births, beautification and blossom time, new items at the shop … All the news on the Naturospace Butterfly House, which is in constant movement, is here.
January 29, 2011: the season opens!
On Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 10.00am, the Naturospace Butterfly House will reopen. A few changes await visitors: the "Carbet" - the traditional Guyanese wooden hut- has been given a new wooden roof; the green wall has been equipped with a new watering system which will make it more luxuriant at its full height. The Gouldian Finch and the Chinese Painted Quails are in peak condition, as are the Koi carps, who are in their element. As for the multicoloured butterflies, there will be a great many of them fluttering their wings under the gaze of a dumbfounded public right from the first day of opening.
Practical information.-The Naturospace Butterfly House is open daily from 10.00am to 1.00pm and from 2.00pm to 5.30pm until the end of November 2011.
In the reception hall, temporary exhibitions present a variety of topics relating to the equatorial environment and to its exploration: tropical birds and insects, fruit, spices, orchids, paintings and objects, travels, all of which enable the discovery or further understanding of an environment that has become closer at hand.
A golden exhibition this summer
“Adventure & Riches: Amazonian Gold”
As from July 2nd, the Naturospace Butterfly House is going Guianan with the “Adventure & Riches: Amazonian Gold” exhibition. Since the 19th century, this department of France has drawn men come to seek their fortune from its riverbeds. Among them was the politician and adventurer Jean Galmot, whose ancient gold panning site was discovered during a recent archaeological expedition.
A photo exhibition of this journey will be presented to the public, as well as several implements found on the premises.Visitors will also be able to see gold dust, quartz, and other ores that make up our natural resources. Several themes will be developed, highlighting the history of gold, gold panning techniques, life in the camps, and the mineral maps of the area. With the help of an interactive video on Guiana's forests, the environmental issue of gold digging will be tackled. Finally, the exhibition will ponder the future this mineral has in Guiana.
From Saturday, July 2nd to November 27th included.- The exhibition is an integral part of the tour, at no extra charge.
April 2011: The orchids are back
It is henceforth a tradition: come springtime, the Naturospace Butterfly House is overrun with orchids. During the whole course of April, the scents and colours of many representatives of this very large flower family %u2013 which includes over twenty-five thousand species %u2013 will be available to visitors. They will be able to admire them, smell them, at leisure%u2026 and take them home with them. It is indeed very easy to recreate a tropical atmosphere within one%u2019s home, since orchids require very little maintenance.
Practical information.- Starting from April 2, 2011. The exhibition is an integral part of the tour, at no extra charge.
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Settled along Charles V Boulevard in Honfleur, the Naturospace is
located 600 metres [656 yards] away from the old Dock facing the
lighthouse near the hospital. It has a large free car park. Coach access
and parking in direct vicinity of the Naturospace Butterfly House is
permitted on weekdays through town council bye-law. On weekends, bank holidays and July-August, a special dispensation must be applied for at the town hall (+33 (0)2 31 81 88 00) to get to the Naturospace. How to access the Naturospace site with Google Maps Wheelchairs or children’s buggies ride smoothly on paths that at each turn reveal a new environmental “surprise”.
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Naturospace
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Honfleur Tourist Office Calvados Tourist Board Normandy tourism board Town of Honfleur Parks and Gardens of Normandy Normandy quality tourism label
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Naturospace
SARL Emeraude
Siège sociale boulevard Charles V
14300 Honfleur
Capital 7623.00 euros
Siret 417 666 781 000 22
TVA INTRA FR42 417 666 781
APE 012J
