Butterflies, dog sleds and bark: Get your outdoors Michigan fix this week

• Butterflies, an herbal remedies workshop and a home and garden show are all planned in and near Grand Rapids
• A wine walk and winter triathlon are happening in Gaylord
• More dog sled races take off in the Upper Peninsula

The largest temporary tropical butterfly exhibit in the United States is returning to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park on Saturday. 

The Fred & Dorothy Fichter Butterflies Are Blooming exhibit gives visitors a chance to hang out with thousands of butterflies and moths (more than 60 species in total) inside a tropical conservatory. 

Watch them fly around and feed, or check out the observation station where caterpillars will metamorphose inside cocoons (if they’re moths) or chrysalides (if they’re butterflies). 

The exhibit runs through April 30 and periodically features different events. On Sunday visitors will have the chance to look at butterflies under microscopes and then make craft wings. On Tuesday evenings, attendees are invited to bring flash lights to search for butterflies in the dark. 

General admission to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park runs from $11 to $22. Children under the age of two get in free. More information can be found here.

Other great ways to get your outdoor fix:

Thursday

• The West Michigan Home & Garden Show runs Thursday through Sunday at DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids. The event will feature 13 gardens, five seminar stages and over 300 businesses. Hours vary. Tickets cost $5 for children 6 to 14, $12 for adults and $18 for a multi-day adult ticket. More info here.

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Friday

• The CopperDog 150 dog sled races begin taking off in Calumet on Friday. The competitions are back after the long distance ones were canceled last year. With an overall purse of $32,500 the stakes are high. Race organizers are seeking volunteers to help out. The CopperDog 150 and CopperDog 80 are expected to wrap up in Calumet on Sunday. More info here.
• Join Wayne County Parks for a Night Light Hike at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. Participants will use provided lanterns as they hike 1 to 2 miles from the Detroit River’s edge into the interior of Elizabeth Park island, stopping to check out plants and signs of animals along the way. Register and find more info here.

Saturday

• The Tri 45 Winter Triathlon in Gaylord is not your average three-part race. The USA Triathlon-sanctioned event features cross-country skiing, fat tire biking and a snow-covered trail run. This year, it also includes a running and biking duathlon. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. and the races start at 10 a.m. Registration prices range from $120 to $170. Find more info and sign up here.
• The Quiet Adventure Symposium — a gathering that celebrates non-motorized outdoor recreation — will take place at the Michigan State University Pavilion in Lansing. The symposium features talks on canoe camping, bicycle touring and more, plus dozens of exhibitors. It runs from 9 a.m.  to 5 p.m.. Cost is $20 apiece, $30 for two, $5 for students and free for children 11 and younger. More info here.

• Learn about potential herbal remedies that can be found in nature at the Bud, Bark & Branch… Winter Weeds & Medicine Trees workshop. Herbalist Jim McDonald will lead participants through the woods surrounding Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids identifying plants that may have medicinal properties. The workshop is 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The cost is $36 for nature center members and $45 for non-members. Find more info and register here.
• Last week, we told you about a bunch of opportunities to drink outside. Well, we have one more! At Otsego Resort in Gaylord on Saturday you can stroll through the forest, making stops along the way to drink wine “meticulously chosen to complement the chilly ambiance.” The Winter Wine Walk runs from noon to 3 p.m. and costs $40. More info here.

Sunday

• Want to cross-country ski this weekend but not sure if it’s going to snow near you? Huron Meadows Metropark in Brighton uses snow guns to cover the 1.5-mile Bucks Run loop. It’s open during the day and lit up in the evenings. A pass is $5 daily or $125 for the season. Ski rental packages cost $15 for adults and $9 for youth 16 and under. Equipment is available to rent from noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. More info here.

Tuesday

• Tuesday is the first installment of a three part online workshop on vernal pools. These large puddles are sometimes referred to as the “coral reefs of northeastern forests.” Because they often dry up in the summer, fish can’t survive in them, so they provide a unique habitat for things like fairy shrimp, wood frogs and salamanders. This workshop, co-hosted by Michigan State University’s Michigan Natural Features Inventory and Michigan Vernal Pools Partnership, is required for people who would like to get involved in citizen research for vernal pools. The training runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cost is free. Register and find more info here.