‘Invertebrates of Mexico’ a boost for the senses

The Butterfly Pavilion’s new exhibit highlights the cultural connections between humans and their invertebrate neighbors.

“Legacies: Invertebrates of Mexico” opened Saturday, and promises a unique experience for visitors to the invertebrate zoo.

“The exhibit is going to be a full sensory experience that brings together culture and conservation,” Interpretation Coordinator Ivy Renner said. “It’s filled with immersive elements, like sound playing in the background of rain in the forest, and some of the natural scents of Mexican ecosystems.”

Insects are a key part of Mexican cuisine and are used in various traditional dishes. Mexican culture has also long woven butterflies and bees into fabrics and headdresses for fashion. “The exhibit allows us to highlight those connections we might not see every day here, but are very important to a lot of the communities in Colorado,” Renner said. “ We have a really large Mexican and Central American community here, and this allows them to see themselves in our exhibit.”

— Broomfield Enterprise