Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in austin, TX

Wild-Connections Butterfly Farm & Nature Center

by Nicole Basham

May 24, 2009

It seems as though our weekends fill up quickly with birthday parties, spending time with my parents and errands, so it seems a rare weekend that we take advantage of the events I write up for Thursdays' Out and About feature. This three-day weekend finally afforded us a chance to visit a place I had been curious about for a while: Wild-Connections Butterfly Farm & Nature Center.

Wild-Connections was created in 2004 to reconnect children with their natural environment, in hopes of instilling a love and interest in protecting it. The property has a nice shady area with ponds and native plants for picnicking, an education center, hiking trails, a gift shop, and of course, the Butterfly House. Until the end of May, Wild-Connections is open 10-4 Tuesday-Saturdays. Then it will re-open in late September. Admission is $4 (plus tax) per person for everyone over 2. Group tours for 15 or more are available by reservation.

 

We headed out on Saturday, hoping to get there around the time they opened. The farm is located a few minutes from the Nutty Brown Cafe (not too far past the turnoff for the Austin Zoo), off 290 heading towards Johnson City. It took us about 20 minutes to get there from North Central Austin.

You check in at the gift shop, and the Butterfly House is only a few minutes walk away. Cut up cantaloupe is near the door to entice the butterflies to feed, but we didn't have any luck (doubt that my son stood still long enough for that, anyways!) The House is pretty amazing and teeming with all sorts of butterflies. The flora is impressive and we also spotted some caterpillars. I have been to some hot/humid indoor butterfly exhibits, so this was nice in comparison, although it is not shaded, so I can see why they close during the summer.

 

 

 

There are also a few turtles in the House, and while we were there, one laid eggs and spent a long time painstakingly covering them up!

 

 

 

We then checked out one of the hiking trails, but by then it was pretty warm and my son had no interest in walking, so we headed back to the Education Center. One room had some wildlife samples out for viewing and some stamps and crayons out for crafts. It might have been an age thing, but my son was most interested in trying to play with the toy insects in the gift shop. And after hearing the owner stress the importance of kids being out in nature, I felt just a little sheepish!

Had we been more prepared, a picnic on the grounds would have been pleasant, or even a stop at the Nutty Brown (we haven't been) or another eatery on the way back in town. But we headed home, and will look forward to visiting again next year, when my son will be another year older and more interested in all that Wild-Connections has to offer.

 

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It's Not Just the Fire Truck: Five Things About Zilker Park

by Nicole Basham

May 19, 2009

Hope you are having a great week so far! Tuesday is List Day here at Savvy Source, and for today's post, I'll be taking a relatively well-known spot, Zilker Park, and pointing out five things you (hopefully) don't already know about this destination.  Read more...

Locally Grown: Where Your Kids Can Choose What's For Dinner

by Nicole Basham

April 14, 2009

Now that the Easter bunny has come and gone and left a trail of empty foil wrappers and chocolate-covered fingers, it's time to get back to eating right. So...just step away from the Peeps and read on for today's List, where I'll cover the local farmers market, farm stand and CSA scene. Markets are a great place for kids, and who knows what your kids will eat if they learn more about how and who grows it!

Farmers Markets

Sunset Valley Farmers Market - Located in the Burger Center parking lot in South Austin, this is what I consider to be the "original" farmers' market in Austin, although it has not always been in this location. It's open 9-1 every Saturday and always has live music and plenty for kids to see, taste, and explore.

Austin Farmers Market - Located downtown, this market is also open 9-1 on Saturdays and also has live music and lots of yummy prepared foods. The Market is a project of the Sustainable Food Center, a non-profit dedicated to creating opportunities for individuals to make healthy food choices and to participate in a vibrant, local food system.

On Wednesdays from 4 until 8pm, the Market is open at the Triangle, which has become a real meeting place for many moms and their charges.

South Austin Farmers Market - I haven't checked this out for myself, but there is a "growers only" market open from 8-1pm on Saturdays at the El Gallo parking lot on South Congress. Reviews on Yelp and other sites were favorable.

Markets in surrounding cities (Taylor, Bastrop, Manor, Elgin, San Marcos and Sun City, among others) are listed here and here.

Farm Stands

Angel Valley Organic Farm - Located in Northwest Austin, this farm stand is open 10-2pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays from February until December.

Arnosky Family Farm - Best known for their amazing flowers, produce and prepared foods are also available Saturdays 9-5pm at the farm, located 8 miles from Blanco.

Austin Farmers Market - In Dove Springs, this stand operates from 12-3pm May to mid-August.

Boggy Creek - No longer a secret, Boggy Creek Farm in East Austin has a surprising array of produce, flowers, and prepared foods. The stand is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 until 2pm.

Green Gate Farm - This farm stand and "U Pick" is open from noon until dark on Thursdays and Fridays, March until November near Decker Lane & MLK.

Pure Luck Organic and AA Dairy - Pure Luck artisan cheeses can be purchased at Wheatsville, Farm to Market, Whole Foods and Central Market, but you can also visit the farm stand Saturdays from 9-5pm near Dripping Springs.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)

CSAs are a service provided by local farms whereby you can subscribe and either pick up or have delivered what's in season. There is a comprehensive list of CSAs on the Edible Austin website. I know mamas who have been very happy with Johnson's Backyard Garden and, although it's not a CSA, Greenling provides produce (some local) and grocery service right to your doorstep.

Are you hungry yet?
 


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Forget Orange! Have a Green Halloween.

by Julie Holden

October 20, 2008

"Green Halloween" is the rage this year. There's a website and a blog . There's an entire page of Google News results on the term. Martha Stewart is on board (though really she always has been, even since before it was a trend). The concept of Green Halloween has even made it to Newsday . Some of the ideas are obvious, and many are cost-saving. Take costumes. What's greener than  Read more...

Get out of the house this weekend!

by Nicole Basham

June 27, 2008

It's really, really hot -- so I can understand the temptation to stay cooped-up inside with the air conditioning. But chances are, by the end of Saturday morning cartoons the cabin fever will set in and you'll be looking for ways to escape the madness. Fortunately there's plenty going on this weekend -- something, I think, for every disposition. Here's a few of the highlights: The Watermelon  Read more...

Eat well, eat local, eat sustainable food!

by Nicole Basham

June 19, 2008

Eating right keeps getting more and more complicated. First you only had to avoid processed food, then you were supposed to start keeping an eye on your fruits and veggies -- just to make sure they weren't modified, going bad or worse -- and now there's talk about eating "sustainable" food (which, believe it or not, is different than produce that's merely "organic"). And if we can't keep it  Read more...

How to cultivate the tiniest green thumb

by Nicole Basham

May 20, 2008

I'll be honest, I have no idea how to make things grow. Plants die under my care. So, because I'm (at best) a novice when it comes to gardening, I do my best to expose Edan to more capable teachers. Whether you're an experienced gardener, or in the same leaky horticultural boat as I am, you might find the following places inspiring as you try to cultivate your child's green thumb. 1. Natural  Read more...