Ketambe Butterfly Project in Sumatra

Butterfly Pavilion, Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS) and the Forum Konservasi Leuser (FKL) have collaborated to create the Ketambe Butterfly Project – a visionary effort to sell butterflies to protect Sumatra’s biodiversity while empowering local communities.
The majestic and ancient Leuser Ecosystem on the Indonesian island of Sumatra is recognized as one of the world’s richest and most diverse expanses of tropical rainforest. Home to 201 mammal species and 580 bird species, it is the last place on earth where Sumatran orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers coexist in the wild. In the last 25 years, over half of it has been lost, threatening the animal species that live there.

In 2019, Butterfly Pavilion launched the Ketambe Butterfly Project in the small city of Ketambe, Indonesia. More than ten years in the making, this project is moving to protect endangered species, protect Sumatra’s ecosystems, and support local culture. The Ketambe Butterfly Project is a local, sustainable butterfly farm creating jobs, providing butterflies for Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoos, conserving habitat in the Leuser Ecosystem, and protecting the endangered Sumatran Rhino. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of these butterflies goes directly to on-the-ground conservation, hiring FKL rangers to collect data on wildlife presence, assist wildlife surveys, dismantle snares, and protect the forest. Sales of the butterflies also provides zoos with the ability to create new exhibits by featuring native Sumatran butterfly species. These conservation ambassadors will spread their wings around the world while developing a new economic model of support.

With your support, we are on the front lines, protecting habitat and wildlife, while creating a sustainable local economy incentivizing conservation over exploitation. When you support the Ketambe Butterfly Project, you’re leading the fight against habitat degradation by putting more front-line protectors in the national forest and creating jobs and opportunities for the local communities.

In recent years, Butterfly Pavilion team members regularly visit the Ketambe Butterfly Farm to help maintain the farm and train employees, specifically in butterfly breeding and research. This ensures that the butterflies raised there are healthy and promotes overall welfare and sound science at the farm. Just this year, Shiran Hershcovich, Butterfly Pavilion’s Lepidopterist Manager was leaving the butterfly farm, and as she walked down the road saw one of the endangered orangutans. Orangutans spend most of their lives in trees to avoid predation, and their diet consists of invertebrates, fruit, and vegetation. Invertebrates pollinate most of the fruit and vegetation that orangutans use as shelter and sustenance. In turn, orangutans disperse the seeds of any vegetation they eat, which eventually grow to become food and shelter for invertebrates.

Butterflies from the farm in Ketambe are being reared for conservation so that endangered species can be restocked in the wild. Additionally, these butterflies are shipped to AZA–accredited zoos around the world, including right here at Wings of the Tropics! Butterfly Pavilion received the first shipment of chrysalises from the Ketambe butterfly farm in August of 2023. This continued collaboration will ensure the preservation of vibrant and essential invertebrate species.

The Ketambe Butterfly Project is using innovative methods to generate its own revenue, establishing a self-sustaining model for conservation. This fuels the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Promise. Not only for the people and organizations supporting the project, but for the Sumatran communities experiencing the loss of biodiversity. Every butterfly we sell carries with it the hope of inspiring change in how we value the natural resources upon which we all depend. That hope rides on the wings spread around the world.

Protecting Pollinators, Forests, and Indigenous Knowledge in the Amazon 

Butterfly Pavilion is partnering with Waorani and Kichwa First Nation communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, alongside local collaborators to protect stingless bees.

Protecting Pollinators, Forests, and Indigenous Knowledge in the Amazon 

Butterfly Pavilion is partnering with Waorani and Kichwa First Nation communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, alongside local collaborators to protect stingless bees through community-led conservation, sustainable meliponiculture (stingless beekeeping), environmental education, and long-term stewardship of rainforest ecosystems. 

Stingless bees are among the most important pollinators in tropical ecosystems and play a critical role in supporting rainforest biodiversity, ecological connectivity, and forest regeneration. Ecuador lies within one of the world’s richest regions for stingless bee diversity (with hundreds of document species in the region), yet these native pollinators face growing threats from deforestation, habitat fragmentation, climate change, and pesticide exposure among others. Protecting stingless bees means protecting the forests, wildlife, and communities that depend on them. 

This initiative combines Indigenous ecological knowledge with scientific research and conservation action. Working directly with local communities in tropical forests of Ecuador, Butterfly Pavilion supports the rescue and transfer of stingless bee colonies threatened by logging, construction, or fallen trees into sustainable wooden hive systems that allow colonies to survive and reproduce long term. Traditionally, honey extraction often involved opening trees or ground nests and leaving colonies exposed to parasites and environmental stress. Through hands-on workshops, capacity building, and field training, communities are expanding into new approaches that allow honey collection while also protecting and managing colonies for the future.  

The project also focuses heavily on environmental education and cultural exchange. Community members, youth, and students participate in workshops covering bee biology, pollination, biodiversity, sustainable hive management, and rainforest conservation. Educational activities include storytelling, participatory learning, art, fieldwork, and Indigenous knowledge sharing related to pollinators and forest ecosystems.  

The ecological importance of this work extends beyond bees. In Ecuador’s cloud forests, the project also explores the relationship between stingless bees and the pollination of fruiting trees important to the endangered Andean bear, including aguacatillo trees that support bear populations and other wildlife throughout the region. Protecting pollinators ultimately strengthens entire ecosystems and helps conserve the biodiversity of both the Amazon and Andean cloud forests.

Timeline 

Since launching in 2024, the project has mapped 26 stingless bee colonies across the Amazon and cloud forests of Ecuador, identified 8 genera of stingless bees, documented more than 30 bee morphotypes, and trained community members in colony rescue, hive management, and pollinator conservation. During the first phase of the project, three wild colonies were successfully transferred into managed hive systems in the Amazon while two colony splits were completed in the cloud forest reserve. More than 100 children and adults participated in environmental education workshops and pollinator conservation activities across participating communities.  

In 2025, Butterfly Pavilion expanded the program by delivering additional hive boxes, educational modules, science journals, and pollinator materials to participating communities. Multiple additional colony transfers involving 2 different stingless bees species were conducted, while community members increasingly took active leadership roles in locating nests, monitoring colonies, and supporting conservation activities.  

Looking ahead, the long-term goal is to establish a scalable Indigenous-led conservation model that protects pollinators, strengthens ecological connectivity, supports sustainable livelihoods, and empowers communities as long-term stewards of Amazonian biodiversity. Future phases of the project aim to expand conservation and meliponiculture programs into additional communities throughout the Ecuadorian Amazon, increase the number of rescued and sustainably managed colonies, strengthen Indigenous leadership through advanced training and community exchanges, and continue developing sustainable honey production and forest-compatible enterprises that support local livelihoods while reinforcing long-term forest conservation. 

With continued support, Butterfly Pavilion and its partners hope to expand this model throughout the Amazon basin while advancing research on stingless bee ecology, pollination biology, and biodiversity conservation. By combining science, education, and Indigenous stewardship, the project seeks to protect some of the world’s most important tropical ecosystems and the communities that have safeguarded them for generations.

Historic Milestone: 100,000 Native Trees Planted to Safeguard the Monarch Migration

Butterfly Pavilion, in collaboration with the Government of Mexico and local community partners, has completed a historic reforestation project, Preservation of Critical Overwintering Habitat for the Migratory Monarch Butterfly in Central Mexico, to restore the wintering habitat of the migratory Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).

Between July and September 2025, 100,000 native Oyamel fir trees (Abies religiosa) were planted across 32 reforestation sites in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, one of the most critical ecosystems in North America. These new forests will serve as safe winter sanctuaries for millions of Monarchs that migrate up to 3,000 miles each year from Canada and the northern United States to central Mexico.

“Completing this reforestation marks a historic milestone for Monarch conservation,” said Shiran Hershcovich, Lepidopterist Senior Manager at Butterfly Pavilion. “This large-scale restoration has united communities, scientists, and governments across borders to protect one of nature’s most extraordinary migrations. Every tree planted represents a promise to the Monarchs and to future generations.”

Why This Project Matters

The Monarch migration is one of the world’s most remarkable natural phenomena and one of its most at risk. In the last three decades, Monarch populations have declined by nearly 80 percent due to habitat loss, deforestation, and climate change.

The Oyamel fir forests of central Mexico, which provide the cool, moist microclimate Monarchs need to survive the winter, have been reduced to less than five percent of their original range. In recent winters 2024–2025, Monarch colonies occupied only 0.9 hectares of forest, the second-lowest number ever recorded. Scientists estimate that at least six hectares of suitable habitat are required to sustain the species.

By planting 100,000 native trees in degraded areas, Butterfly Pavilion and its partners have begun rebuilding this essential forest canopy, strengthening local ecosystems, stabilizing the microclimate Monarchs depend on, and protecting biodiversity for generations to come.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Proposed Ruling: Why It Matters More Than Ever

In December 2024, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced a proposed rule to list the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. This decision underscores the urgency of ongoing, coordinated conservation efforts across North America.

If Monarch butterflies are officially designated as threatened, it would activate critical federal protections to help safeguard their survival. Large landowners and developers would be required to work with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service before undertaking any activity that could significantly impact Monarch habitats. It would also become illegal to intentionally or negligently harm or kill Monarch butterflies or to import or export them without permits.

Certain allowances would remain, such as exceptions for agricultural practices like the removal of milkweed, the Monarch caterpillar’s primary food source, when necessary for farming operations. Even so, these proposed measures represent a vital step toward reversing population declines and ensuring that this iconic species has the chance to recover and thrive.

Butterfly Pavilion’s completion of its large-scale reforestation in Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve could not be timelier. By planting 100,000 native Oyamel fir trees across 32 sites, this project directly supports the same conservation goals outlined in the proposed federal ruling: restoring habitat, protecting migration corridors, and safeguarding pollinators that sustain ecosystems across borders.

Project Achievements

“Standing in these restored forests today, it is clear that our collective efforts matter,” said Hershcovich. “Each Oyamel fir we planted strengthens the delicate chain that keeps the Monarch migration alive. This work gives hope that with continued collaboration, this remarkable journey will endure.”

Education and Community Impact

This project is not only restoring habitat but also cultivating stewardship. In Mexico, 20 school-based pollinator gardens now serve as hands-on learning environments where students learn about Monarch biology, pollinator conservation, and sustainable forest management.

In the United States, Butterfly Pavilion invites families, schools, and community scientists to take action through the Monarch Magic Pledge, planting native milkweed and pollinator-friendly plants, and by joining the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network, which collects vital data to protect local species.

Global Collaboration in Action

This achievement demonstrates what is possible when conservation transcends borders. The project, Preservation of Critical Overwintering Habitat for the Migratory Monarch Butterfly in Central Mexico, was made possible through a grant from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conservation Grant Fund and realized through collaboration among government agencies, nonprofits, and community partners.

Partners

This collaboration embodies the mission of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums SAFE program, which unites accredited zoos and aquariums across North America to protect species through science, education, and community engagement.

The Importance of Monarchs

Monarch butterflies are far more than symbols of beauty. They are powerful pollinators that sustain ecosystems across North America. During their annual migration, they carry pollen between flowers, aiding plant reproduction and supporting countless other species that rely on those plants for food and shelter.

As sensitive indicators of environmental health, Monarchs reflect the broader challenges facing our planet, from climate change to habitat loss. Protecting their migration means protecting the balance of nature itself. Immediate and collaborative conservation action is essential to prevent the collapse of this extraordinary migration.

Cultural and Ecological Significance

The loss of the Monarch migration would not only be an ecological tragedy but a cultural one. For generations, the migration has symbolized endurance, renewal, and connection, values deeply rooted in the traditions of communities across North America, particularly in Mexico.

Each autumn, Monarch butterflies arrive in central Mexico around the beginning of November, coinciding with Día de los Muertos. In Mexican tradition, their arrival is seen as the return of the souls of departed loved ones, a reminder of the connection between life, memory, and the natural world.

Beyond their spiritual and symbolic importance, Monarchs also sustain local economies. Ecotourism centered around the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve brings meaningful income to communities in the region, reinforcing the idea that protecting Monarchs also protects people, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.

What Comes Next

Butterfly Pavilion and partners will continue monitoring the newly planted forests to ensure healthy growth, support additional habitat restoration, and expand education and engagement programs that inspire long-term community stewardship.

The restored forests will stand as a living legacy of international cooperation and a testament to what is possible when people work together to protect the natural wonders that sustain life on Earth.

Get Involved

Join us in Mexico to see these amazing butterflies: Learn More

Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project

Butterfly Pavilion houses corals for the Florida Reef Tract Rescue Project to maintain genetic diversity necessary for wild coral restoration efforts.

The Florida reef tract is a 360-mile stretch of coral reef ecosystems forming the third largest barrier reef in the world, and the only living barrier reef in North America. It is America’s barrier reef. Barrier reefs serve important ecological functions as nurseries for fish and storm barriers for coastal habitats.

Coral reefs are delicately balanced and when the corals themselves die the consequences are often huge. Like a rainforest without trees, the other animals are forced to move on now that they are unable to support themselves in the barren landscape of coral skeletons.

Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease

In 2014, the northernmost tip of the Florida reef tract located off the coast of Port St. Lucie, FL, experienced a small outbreak of a new and unknown disease. This disease, now called Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD), was quick to spread throughout the different coral species along the reef.

As it spread it was found that once a coral was infected it had almost a 100% chance of dying. Global issues like climate change, pollution, and other factors take a heavy toll, weakening habitats and making corals more susceptible to infection.

In four years the SCTLD disease has spread over a 100 miles southward, impacting over 20 different species of reef building corals and reducing their abundance by 50-90%.

The Coral Rescue Effort

In response to the disease crisis, multiple government agencies came together to form the Florida Coral Rescue Team. This team went on to develop a revolutionary Coral Rescue Plan.

The plan required the removal of healthy coral specimen, lovingly dubbed ‘reef-ugees’, of the most susceptible species from places still untouched by the disease and placing them in land-based ‘arks’. The goal was to save as many ‘reef-ugees’ as possible to ensure these species wouldn’t be brought to the brink of extinction.

In 2018, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) was invited to support this rescue operation. Of the 236 zoos and aquariums accredited by AZA, only 22 facilities have been accepted as coral holders. Butterfly Pavilion, having the necessary invertebrate expertise, is one of those facilities accepted as a holder for the project.

Butterfly Pavilion’s Role

In early 2019, Butterfly Pavilion committed to having a system ready to receive coral by early 2020. Since then, we have created an exhibit capable of supporting these essential animals.

As the only facility in Colorado currently committed to holding coral, we are excited to house these ‘reef-uges’ at our facility and tell their story to our guests and members!

Bee Fencing Project

Butterfly Pavilion supports the spread of beehive fencing to new communities in Africa to mitigate human-elephant conflict.

The Bees for Elephants project is transforming the way rural communities coexist with wildlife. For generations, farmers living near National parks or elephant corridors have struggled with a devastating challenge: elephants raiding their crops and water sources. These massive animals, while majestic and vital to the ecosystem, can destroy water systems or an entire season’s harvest in a single night, leaving families without fresh water, food, or income for months. In extreme cases, these encounters can even turn deadly for both the people and the elephants, as frightened farmers attempt to defend their livelihoods. With limited resources and few alternatives, many villages have faced the heartbreaking choice between survival and conservation.

Elephant deterrent methods such as electrical fences, thorn barriers, loud noises, fire, and gunshots have been used in an attempt to mitigate human-elephant conflict. However, these methods are often difficult to sustain in the long-term and elephants quickly find ways around them.

Invertebrates to the Rescue

A simple yet powerful solution is changing everything, thanks to the African honeybees (Apis mellifera scutellata). Bee hives represent a natural human-elephant conflict mitigation tool that has been proven successful and sustainable in the form of beehive fencing. Beehive fencing (developed by Dr. Lucy King of Save the Elephants) uses hanging beehives around crops and homes to deter elephants from entering areas.

But how do bee fences work?

Basically, the bees are acting as nature’s peacekeepers in this conflict. Elephants have an instinctive fear of bees, avoiding them to avoid painful stings in sensitive areas like up their trunks, eyes, and ears. The Bees for Elephants project leverages this natural deterrent by installing beehive fences, a series of connected hives that create a living, aggressive and buzzing barrier around farmlands. When elephants approach and disturb them, the bees emerge, encouraging the elephants to go away before damage is done. African honeybees will readily send thousands of worker bees out to sting intruders. Even the sound of bees swarming causes elephants to run away and, overtime, they learn to avoid these bee-fenced areas and teach their family groups to do the same.

This nature-based solution is not only effective but also provides life-changing benefits for the local people and ecosystems involved.

Besides defending against elephants, beehive fences provide the benefits of being easily managed by people within the community, involving locally available materials, providing pollination to crops, and providing a supplemental income to farmers through the sale of wax and honey. As such, maintaining hives provides an opportunity for local livelihood enhancement. It is estimated that, within three years of fence construction, communities become self-sufficient in maintaining the fences and selling the honey, propolis, and wax harvested from the hives.

Timeline

In 2018, Butterfly Pavilion launched the Bee Fencing Project in collaboration with the Katie Adamson Conservation Fund (KACF), Denver Zoo, and the Health and Environmental Management Society (HEMS) in Nepal. Butterfly Pavilion traveled to a community just outside of Nepalgunj, Nepal, adjacent to Bardia National Park to establish beehives. Butterfly Pavilion experts trained community members in beekeeping techniques.

In 2019, Butterfly Pavilion expanded our Bee Fencing Project to Tanzania. Butterfly Pavilion experts traveled to Lamadi, Tanzania, near Serengeti National Park, to donate beekeeping equipment, build hives, and train community members in beekeeping.

Between 2021 and 2024, we began planning with the Tanzanian Elephant Foundation to expand our Bees for Elephants Program to communities outside of Nyerere National Park in southern Tanzania and Mkomazi National Park in northern Tanzania. In 2022, we started a 4.5-kilometer beehive fence in Kisiwani, Tanzania to protect crop fields from elephants entering the community from Mkomazi National Park. Wild honeybee colonies occupied the hives within only just hours of hanging them! We also added new hives to a beehive fence in Kisemo and pulled honey frames from a beehive fence in Kisaki. We supported beekeeping training in these three communities and donated beekeeping equipment to Kisiwani so that they can safely manage their fence and hives.

In 2025, we acheived a major accomplishment of completing the installation of Africa’s largest bee fence, spanning more than 6 kilometers across the village of Kisiwani, Tanzania! With this expansion, we’re celebrating what’s possible when conservation, community, and creativity come together, and helping the world see the incredible impact of invertebrates.

Currently, we work with five villages, where beehive fences range from 1 km to 6 km in length, protecting farms and providing economic opportunities through the production of beekeeping products, such as honey, wax, and propolis. To date, we have installed 990 hives with 254 occupied with bees. As a result, conflicts have dropped by well over 80% and honey production has soared, with over 600 kg of honey harvested so far, creating new financial stability for families. Additionally, through training programs, we empower local beekeepers, equipping them with skills in hive management, honey production, and product diversification, further strengthening economic resilience.

Last but not least: A Model for Conservation Success

Butterfly Pavilion saw the great potential of beehive fencing to not only protect elephants, but also promote the conservation of native honey bee species and pollinator habitat in communities in Africa.

This initiative is proving that people, pollinators, and wildlife can thrive together. By reducing human-elephant conflict, we are preventing elephant deaths caused by retaliation while fostering a culture of coexistence. At the same time, our work is promoting pollinator conservation—critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems and agricultural success. This model has the potential to expand across Africa, offering a replicable blueprint for other communities facing similar challenges.

African honeybees are native to Tanzania, and by fostering love, care and respect for them we accomplish one of our most important missions at Butterfly Pavilion. Enhancing the future of these small feisty but vital pollinators in Africa.

By investing in bee fences, we are not just protecting crops. we are securing livelihoods, conserving pollinators, and ensuring the future of one of Earth’s most iconic species.

Your support can help expand our impact, bringing this innovative solution to more villages and ensuring a future where elephants and communities can thrive together.

Donate to the Project

Want to learn more about our Bee’s For Elephants Project? Check out some of our articles on Bee Fencing below. 

Q&A with Rich Reading About Bees for Elephants – Feb 1, 2024

Butterfly Pavilion’s Trip to Tanzania – Oct 3, 2022

Bees For Elephants Program: A Tanzania Project Summary – March 22, 2022

Bees For Elephants – March 4, 2022

Bee Fencing Project: A Global Impact – Sept 22, 2021

The Best Defense is a Good Bee Fence – July 31, 2019

Bee Fencing to Protect People and Elephants – Dec 18, 2018

Guardians of the Steppe: Saving Mongolia’s Endangered Butterflies

Imagine a land where rolling hills meet sky, where ancient traditions blend with modern conservation efforts. This is Mongolia, home to some of the world’s most beautiful and endangered butterflies. Among them are the Parnassius butterflies, delicate creatures that have graced these steppes for millennia. But their future hangs in the balance.

The Challenge

Five species of Parnassius butterflies in Mongolia are now threatened and at risk of disappearing forever. The culprits? Overzealous hay harvesting, excessive grazing, climate change, and even the passionate but misguided efforts of collectors from across the globe. But there’s hope. And it starts with you.

Our Mission: Empowering the Next Generation

At Butterfly Pavilion, we believe the key to saving these incredible butterflies lies in the hearts and minds of Mongolia’s youth. That’s why we’ve launched an ambitious program turning students into community scientists, armed with cutting-edge technology and a burning passion for conservation.

Picture this: A young Mongolian girl, eyes wide with wonder, as she spots a rare Apollo butterfly fluttering nearby. With trembling fingers, she reaches for her smartphone, not to capture a fleeting Instagram moment, but to record vital data that could help save an entire species. This isn’t just a dream. It’s happening right now, thanks to supporters like you.

The Impact of Your Donation

Your generosity doesn’t just buy equipment or fund research trips. It ignites a spark in the next generation of environmental stewards. Here’s what your donation can achieve:

A Journey of Discovery

From the windswept plains of Uliastai to the pristine forests of Khentey, our team has traversed 11 sites across six provinces. We’ve braved harsh conditions, forged partnerships with local scientists, and witnessed moments of breathtaking beauty.

But the most inspiring sight of all? The faces of young Mongolians as they realize the power they hold to change the future.

Recent Triumphs

In 2024, we launched the Invertebrate Trunks program in Dadal, Mongolia, bringing hands-on conservation education to eager young minds.

From 2019 to 2024 our research has led to groundbreaking publications, shedding new light on Parnassian butterfly habitats.

We’ve built lasting partnerships with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, universities, and local conservation groups, ensuring our work will have a lasting impact.

Timeline

In 2020, we published our second paper on the Parnassian butterfly habitat and partnered with the University of Colorado-Denver and Digital Global to analyze data critical to the conservation of these species.

In 2022, Butterfly Pavilion continued to support monitoring of Mongolia’s Parnassian butterflies and training of Mongolian conservationists to develop long-term sustainable research, conservation, and management policies for Mongolia. Our work ensures the long-term conservation of Mongolia’s Parnassius butterflies by training Mongolian conservationists and scientists in state-of-the-art research, conservation, and management techniques. Given their understanding of their nation’s resources, culture, and history, Mongolian specialists are the most qualified individuals for developing and implementing these long-term policies for their nation. Our work encompassed 11 sites in six provinces (Uliastai, Khovsgol, Tov, Ulaanbaatar, Khentey, and Dornod Provinces) across northern Mongolia. Our goal is to provide them with added improvement and success through our knowledge and expertise.

In the Summer of 2023, our team eagerly traveled to Mongolia to collaborate with local schools and communities on vital research and conservation efforts aimed at protecting the threatened Parnassius butterfly. Through educational outreach programs and hands-on fieldwork, we aimed to raise awareness about the importance of these beautiful species and their fragile habitat.

In 2024, the Invertebrate Trunks program was piloted in Dadal, Mongolia, aimed at protecting Mongolia’s endangered Parnassius butterflies through education in partnership with Nomadic Nature Conservation, the Mongolian Academy of Science, and local Mongolian educators and community members. The program was delivered through two core activities: Classification and Pollination.

The pilot involved 10 students ranging from 6th to 10th grade, along with two teachers. The Pollination Activity was highly successful in terms of student engagement and learning outcomes. Teachers found the activity rewarding, noting benefits in both personal growth and student impact.

Through this program, we aim to continue educating others on the importance of invertebrates and our ecosystems, the threats facing Parnassius butterflies, and the actions we can take to ensure their survival. It’s inspiring to see the next generation of environmental stewards in action, working to preserve Mongolia’s unique ecosystem and document local biodiversity. Their enthusiasm and dedication give hope for a sustainable future for Mongolia’s natural heritage.

Butterfly Pavilion continues to elevate our efforts with the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Mongolian National University, Mongolian Conservation Coalition, Round River Conservation Studies, Nomadic Nature Conservation, local Mongolian educators and other potential partners to explore opportunities for expanding future work to include education, outreach, and conservation.

Join the Movement

The story of Mongolia’s butterflies is still being written. And you have the power to shape its ending. Will you stand with us as a guardian of the steppe? Will you help us ensure future generations can witness the delicate dance of Parnassius butterflies across Mongolia’s vast horizons?

Your donation, no matter the size, is a testament to hope. It’s a declaration that beauty matters, that being has value, and that together, we can create a world where nature thrives.

Donate now and become part of this incredible journey. Let’s write a future where the skies of Mongolia are filled with the flutter of countless butterfly wings, and where the children can grow up knowing the power of conservation. Together, we can turn the page on extinction and open a new chapter of hope for Mongolia’s butterflies.

Donate Now