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Cape Coral Living Magazine

The Rotary Park Environmental Center Offers Free Tours of the Butterfly House

Jun 29, 2017 03:34PM ● By Melanie Heisinger

Courtesy of the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

The Rotary Park Environmental Center is a beautifully landscaped 92-acre preservation that is made up of mostly salt marsh, some upland and plenty of rock just under the surface. Rotary Park is also the home of the Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House, donated and cared for by the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife.

Courtesy of the Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Facebook page.

Founded in the mid-1980s, the park was founded by the Rotary Club that saw the value in keeping these lands preserved. Now, the funding is directly from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Parts of the park are funded for preservation purposes only, excluding the 9 acres of upland that the building, the dog park and the open areas currently occupy. 

The park includes a 4,200 square foot environmental center that is used for gardening and fitness classes for the community, among other things. 

According to the website, "Rotary Park is also the home of the Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House, donated and cared for by the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. You can view all the beautiful butterflies and plants from the outside of the butterfly house every day and you can pick up information on butterflies and how to attract them to your yard."

This magical part of the park attracts families and people of all ages. Free tours of the butterfly house are given each Monday, Friday, and Saturday at 10:30 a.m. 

To learn more about the park, you can visit the Rotary Park website