Butterflies, like birds, are attracted to water. While birds are strong enough to splash in still or running water, and to dart in and out of sprays and showers… BUTTERFLIES are too delicate because their fragile wings are easily weighted down by water.

Butterflies often cluster in the wild around “foot-deep” mud puddles near creeks and rivers. In this case “foot-deep” means as a butterfly foot, not a human foot. The Kern River Preserve garden’s “puddles” are plant saucers filled with mud, which are sprinkled to keep wet. You can use any shallow container in your own garden.

Butterflies often linger on warm rocks heated by the sun, during cooler weather or overcast days.

Where do butterflies go at night or in the wind or rain? They often nestle among logs, fallen branches and litter which were added to this small garden and left there for the benefit of butterflies. A garden’s wild and natural habitat encourages butterflies to linger.