Chrysalis: A Giant Lesson on Metamorphosis | Outdoor Art

Discover Chrysalis, an intriguing sculpture by Nikki Pike that looks like a huge bark-covered butterfly chrysalis hanging between two trees in Kentucky’s Bernheim Forest and Arboretum. Chrysalis evokes the wonder the artist felt playing in nature as a child and invites students to imagine what kind of fantastical giant butterfly might emerge! Through exploring Chrysalis, students learn about the life cycle of butterflies and moths and about the danger of emerald ash borers, an invasive species that has killed millions of native trees in North America.

This video takes a student’s eye view of exploring this creative and evocative installation in the trees, encouraging art appreciation and scientific discovery as they witness the natural “magic trick” of metamorphosis. Accompanying support materials include creative activities of designing an imaginary butterfly and creating a model environmental sculpture and science activities around diagramming the life cycle of a butterfly and examining invasive species.