Let's hope her dream comes true
By Jacqueline Frederick
Adobe Press
Nipomo, California
April 16, 1999
Photo by Siamak Sehat
A few years ago, I acquainted with Sheila Boone who could speak of nothing else but butterflies, to the point of obsession. Well she has a fantastic dream and it is only those who dream who can accomplish the seemingly impossible. It
is her dream and fantasy to build a magnificent butterfly palace here in San Luis Obispo. Her aspiration is to establish a research and visitors center which will house the finest display of of free flying live tropical butterflies in the world under the guidance of four well known scientists including Dr. Kingston Leong, a Professor at Cal Poly and Dr. Miriam Rothchild, the founder of the ninety acre "Wildflower Meadow" in England. There are only about eight over-wintering sites in California which support over 50,000 butterflies, and one of those is in Cayucos. The Monarch butterfly is only found on the California Coast and in Mexico. Mrs. Boone (a descendant of Daniel Boone) is looking for a suitable site and is seriously considering Nipomo to house the Daniel Boone Butterfly Palace because of the sub tropical climate.
A small eleven acre preserve already exists on the Mesa on the Woodlands property and will eventually be managed by the likes of Dr. Leong. The Butterfly Palace requires at least 250 acres to house the research center and visitors gallery. Let's hope her dream comes true.