More dates

Payment plans

How does it work?

  • Reserve your order today and pay over time in regular, automatic payments.
  • You’ll receive your tickets and items once the final payment is complete.
  • No credit checks or third-party accounts - just simple, secure, automatic payments using your saved card.

Herding Caterpillars Festival 2024 for schools

Share
Bicentennial Conservatory
Adelaide SA, Australia
Host icon
Botanic Gardens & State Herbarium
9906 followers  ·  Contact host (Opens in new tab)
Add to calendar
 

Description

Enter the extraordinary world of the Chequered Copper Butterfly with your classes! Through theatre, storytelling, virtual reality and hands-on activities, your students will discover the amazing story of the Chequered Copper Butterfly. 

Hiding beneath our noses in the Adelaide Park Lands is a story that you will find hard to believe.

It is a story that has taken place for thousands of years, every year, in the grasslands of Adelaide and rediscovered in Victoria Park (Pakapakanthi) in 2011.

The eggs of a tiny caterpillar are checked by common black ants and when they hatch the baby caterpillars are herded to their favourite host plant to feed. 

The ants shepherd the caterpillars down into their nest for rest and protection at the end of each day.

In return, the ants feed from the nectary gland at the end of the caterpillar. 

Eventually the tubby caterpillar pupates in the ant nest and emerges as the beautiful Chequered Copper Butterfly. 

Sounds incredible doesn't it! This remarkable symbiotic relationship will be brought to life during The Herding Caterpillars Festival. 

Don't miss the chance to bring your class to this engaging and interactive experience held within the lush indoor temperate rainforest of the Bicentennial Conservatory at the Adelaide Botanic Garden!


Curriculum links:

  • Year 4 to Year 7 Science: AC9S4U01, AC9S5U01, AC9S6U01, AC9S7U01, AC9S7U02
  • Year 4 to Year 5 Art: AC9HH7K03, AC9HH7K04
  • Year 5 to Year 7 Drama: AC9ADR6E01, AC9ADR8E01

Year Level
Year 4 to Year 7
Dates
Wednesday 7, Thursday 8 and Friday 9 August 2024
Times
Session 1:
9:30am to 11.30am
Or 
Session 2:
12:00pm to 2:00pm
Location
Bicentennial Conservatory, Adelaide Botanic Garden 
Costs:

No cost, bookings essential

Planning your Excursion
Please read this information before your visit to ensure the best possible experience and learning outcomes.
Planning your visit

The Herding Caterpillars Festival

Photo credit: Rosina Possingham

Powered by

Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity

Register

This event has passed

Register

This event has passed
Bicentennial Conservatory
Adelaide SA, Australia
Host icon
Hosted by Botanic Gardens & State Herbarium

More events from this host

Mon, 28 Sep, 10am - 4pm ACST  + 93 dates
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Bicentennial Conservatory, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Mon, 28 Sep, 10am - 12pm ACST  + 1 date
Nature Dough Kids Workshop
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Tue, 29 Sep, 9am - 1pm ACST 
Outside In: Nature Connection to Classroom Practice
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Tue, 6 Oct, 10:30am - 12pm ACDT  + 1 date
Secrets of the Seed: Exploring South Australian Plant & Seed Science
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Wed, 7 Oct, 10am - 11:30am ACDT 
Where Seeds Take Root: Inside the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden Nursery
Mount Lofty Botanic Garden, Crafers SA, Australia
Wed, 7 Oct, 11am - 12pm ACDT  + 3 dates
From Seed to Survival: Inside the Seed Conservation Centre
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Wed, 7 Oct, 3pm - 4pm ACDT  + 1 date
The Seeds of Discovery: Exploring the State Herbarium
State Herbarium of South Australia, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Sun, 11 Oct, 10am - 12pm ACDT  + 1 date
The Great Botanic Seed Swap and Share
Rose Garden Pavilion, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Sun, 11 Oct, 10:15am - 11am ACDT 
The Journey of a Seed: Stories from the Seed Conservation Centre
Noel Lothian Hall, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Sun, 11 Oct, 11:30am - 12pm ACDT  + 2 dates
Behind the Seeds: A Snapshot of the Seed Conservation Centre
Goodman Building, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Sun, 11 Oct, 12pm - 1pm ACDT  + 1 date
Pods Hold Stories: Seed Drawing Workshop
Noel Lothian Hall, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia
Mon, 12 Oct, 10am - 11am ACDT  + 134 dates
Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Schools self-guided experience
Bicentennial Conservatory, Adelaide Botanic Garden, Adelaide SA, Australia