Mastervision's Audubon Butterfly DVD: Essentials for Beginners and Gardeners pairs two complementary programs from 1996: Audubon Society's Butterflies for Beginners and Audubon Society's Butterfly Gardening. Both programs combine full-motion video, stills, computer graphics, and narration by Clayelle Dalferes to help lovers of Lepidoptera distinguish between fritillaries and tortoiseshells. Butterflies for Beginners opens with a guide to butterfly basics (lifecycles, behaviors, habitat, etc.) followed by an in-depth look at over two dozen of the more prevalent butterfly species, with information on common and scientific names, identifying marks, migration patterns, and more, concluding with a brief segment on raising butterflies from caterpillars (using a monarch for demonstration). Butterfly Gardening offers viewers tips on how to cultivate gardens that will attract butterflies (hint: use plenty of nectar plants), along with a field guide to appropriate shrubs, flowers, and herbs to plant, as well as a butterfly gallery that points out “flower” preferences for a wide range of butterflies from the eight master groups. Winston Churchill once tried to add butterflies to his garden by simply releasing them into the area, after which they promptly flew away. Savvy viewers can surely look forward to finer hours of butterfly watching than Mr. C—thanks to the tips and techniques shared here. Sure to appeal to both nature enthusiasts and backyard gardeners, this lovely and informative compilation is definitely recommended. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)
Audubon Butterfly DVD: Essentials for Beginners and Gardeners
(2008) 152 min. DVD: $39.95. Mastervision (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-55919-205-4. Volume 23, Issue 4
Audubon Butterfly DVD: Essentials for Beginners and Gardeners
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