The O-town Scene

January 27, 2011

The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY

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A tropical escape, in Oneonta Story by Trevor Hayes Photos by Genevieve Pedulla The Joseph L. Popp Jr. Butterfly Conservatory provides a year-round environment to get in touch with nature indoors The temperature is doing its best to dip below zero, snow is crunching under foot and upstate New York’s fierce winter is in full force. But inside an Oneonta building with a roof seemingly made completely of glass, it’s summertime. “We’re open year-round,” said Christine Ryan, co-owner of the Joseph L. Popp Jr. Butterfly Conservatory at 5802 State Highway 7. “It’s a great place to get out of the snow.” Christine and her co-owner and daughter, Maedbh Ryan, give passersby a taste of the Amazon, the Outback, the desert and the savannah. During the summer, a small staff manages the conservatory, a gift shop, a small café area and an outdoor bird exhibit. But during the winter, it’s just the Ryans. The temperature and humidity inside the conservatory replicate the tropical locales of many of its inhabitants, which include about 300 types of butterflies, 35 species of birds, 10 types of turtles and tortoises, eight kinds of lizards, several types of amphib- ians, a few fish and one two-toed sloth named Harmony. “The conservatory was started by three people, Joe Popp, me and Maedbh Ryan,” Christine said. “Joe died in a car accident before we opened, so we decided to finish it and name it for him.” Entering the 3,000-square-foot former pool house, there is a vestibule area with strong fans and doors on either side, presumably to blow off any critters who latch onto visitors for a ride. Once inside, the handicapped-accessible space is a miniature jungle with winding paths, banana trees, small ponds, closed off exhibit spaces and benches to sit back and take it all in. Soft classical music plays under the sound of gurgling water and squawk- ing brids. “It’s a great place. A lot of people come here for different reasons,” Christine said. “We hope they get a lot out of it, too.” School kids from Head Start to college students, seniors, adults, locals and tourists make up the conservatory’s business. They’ve even hosted two weddings, and two proposals have taken place there. “We love that,” Christine said. “One of them, the guy called in advance and said ‘I’m going to do this.’ The other one, the person was crying, and I asked her what was wrong.” A tropical tour Despite being resigned in her outward expression, Christine’s passion comes through on a quick tour of the space. With a degree in biology and a career’s worth of experience, she is not only personable, but, also extremely knowledgeable. She lights up inside the enclosure. 16 O-Town Scene Jan. 27, 2011 Continued on Page 17

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