Humidification system brings the tropics to Milwaukee
Located within this new space at the Public Museum is the remarkable Butterfly Vivarium exhibit. It is rated as one of the two best butterfly exhibits in North America and has been constructed as an open walk-through experience that allows visitors to interact with the butterflies as they pass through the 75-ft-long simulated tropical rain forest environment. In this enclosure a wide variety of butterfly species, indigenous to the Central and South American jungles, fly freely amongst their guests although they are not permitted to leave with them.
The not only had to maintain the air temperature at a steady 80°, night and day, they also had to keep the humidity level throughout the entire area at a constant 80%, even as exterior conditions impacted on the humidity in the air being pumped into the building from outside. And the air inside the exhibit had to be recirculated completely every 15 to 20 minutes without creating any discernible breeze. The butterflies only live in their flying state for a few weeks, and they require optimum living conditions to thrive and procreate their species. They don't like it to be too cold or too hot, or too moist or too dry; they want it to be just right.