The Woodward A. Wickham Butterfly Garden

An outdoor space for contemplation and wonder.

Opening July 2009

 

 

Nature always had a special meaning for Woodward “Woody” Wickham, whether he was hiking in the mountains of Oaxaca, fishing in Michigan streams, or opening his front door in Montana to a view of the Absaroka Range. Woody used his time in nature to pause and reflect on its presence. His Chicago apartment looked out over North Pond and Lincoln Park to Lake Michigan, places where he often walked, stopping when certain items caught his eye: a bird, a flower, a stand of tall grass.

 

In fall 2008, Woody began working with the Nature Museum on the very special creation of the Woodward A. Wickham Butterfly Garden. Beginning in spring 2009, Museum visitors and passersby will experience a serene setting rich with butterflies and the flowering plants that provide their nectar: monarch butterflies and purple cone flowers; painted ladies and sky blue asters; pearly crescent butterflies and brilliant orange flowering native milkweeds. Interpretative signage will explain how visitors can create their own butterfly gardens – the landscapes of attractions – in their own yards. A simple bench with an inscription honoring Woody will provide a place for people to pause, look and reflect.

 

Woody has made a generous gift to establish a butterfly garden and provide an endowment for maintenance and educational programming. If you would like to make a gift, please click here or send a check payable to:

 

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Attn: Diane Gerrish, Development Office

2430 N. Cannon Drive

Chicago, IL 60614