That moments when a butterfly lands on you or a nearby plant? Simply magical. Now you can make more of those moments at the aptly named Patch of Heaven Sanctuary. Located in the Redlands agricultural area of south Miami-Dade County, Patch of Heaven’s dynamic 20-acre grounds include a mindfulness park, a Zen garden, and a butterfly house. In the latter, the sanctuary raises, rears, and releases nearly 12,000 butterflies each year. Aventura sat down with Patch of Heaven’s own butterfly keeper and lepidopterist Kiki Sylvain to find out what all the flutter is about.
Aventura: How would you describe the Patch of Heaven butterfly experience?
Sylvain: Our butterfly house is filled with the peaceful sounds of a cascading Florida aquifer waterfall set 14 feet deep into the oolitic limestone and surrounded by two tiers of rainbow-colored native and exotic pollinator plants.
Tell us about your love of butterflies.
My passion for butterflies goes back to my youth. From a young age, I felt amazement for these tiny creatures. My curiosity turned to learning as I watched them; I was fascinated that the caterpillars eventually became butterflies. My mind was blown for life.
What types of butterflies do you raise?
We grow nine native butterfly species at Patch of Heaven: monarch, great Southern white butterfly, Polydamas swallowtail, malachite, zebra longwing, Julia, Atala, painted lady, and Gulf fritillary.
How can visitors take a piece of Patch of Heaven home with them?
One [of our] missions is to increase the food source of native milkweed for Monarchs. They landed on the endangered species list in July 2022, so we grow, sell, and propagate this vital food source. Guests can buy some milkweed to bring home with them for their garden. We also sell other pollinator plants in our “Trash Your Grass, Sprout Some Wings” program to help people become part of the solution for these vital pollinators. Butterflies impact one-third of the world’s global food supply, so planting a patch of pollinator plants at home can really make a difference.
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