Jump into Conservation: A Q&A with Rich Reading

Jump into Conservation: A Q&A with Rich Reading, Ph.D. Vice President of Science and Conservation

Q: Butterfly Pavilion engages in a lot of work globally to protect, sustain, and grow varying ecosystems. Can you describe some of these global projects? 

A:

For starters, we engage in a large variety of projects around the world such as our Bees for Elephants project in Tanzania, we build bee fences to mitigate human-elephants conflict which happens when elephants raid communities, destroying farms and homes. Elephants are very smart, but they are afraid of bees, so when they hit the wires connecting hives that form a fence, the bees come out of their hives and sting elephants in sensitive areas like their trunks, eyes and ears. Elephants will run away from even just the sound of bees. We train farmers and community members on how to build bee fences, how to keep the bees and how to sell honey, giving them an additional source of income. We also do work in Sumatra, Indonesia where we have a butterfly farm. We will be able to supply many of our own butterflies to Butterfly Pavilion, including endangered Birdwings, as well as sell them to other butterfly houses. The money we generate goes into not only supporting local people but goes to supporting the conservation of the ecosystem that they inhabit. So, it’s not only helping butterfly populations but also helping support rhino, elephant, and tiger conservation too. 

Q: What are some local or national projects in which Butterfly Pavilion is involved

A: Domestically, we have a project where we’re trying to head start both firefly and dragonfly species that are in trouble. There are very few populations of fireflies left in Colorado, in fact most people don’t even know that we have them here through the management of these creatures under human care, we’ve endeavored to breed and nurture them until adulthood. This is what we call head starting them. In doing so, we’re able to help populations through the really crucial early stages where mortality rates are very high, and get them to a later stage in life, when they have a higher chance of survivorship. 

We’re also working with the Colorado Department of Transportation to help tarantulas during mating season. Currently, our focus lies in determining the optimal locations for tarantula underpasses, since during the fall season, male tarantulas venture out in search of females and often traverse busy roads in the process. This is obviously a risk because they can get run over so we’re trying to set up what we call drift fences, where an animal hits the fence and then goes along it until it reaches an underpass. Then hopefully, native tarantulas will have a way to safely find mates in the area.  We like to call it creating tunnels of love!  

Q: What can people be doing locally to support these projects and sustainability efforts?

A:

There are numerous ways individuals can support invertebrates and Butterfly Pavilion. One avenue is through participation in our community science initiatives such as the Urban Prairies Project and the Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network. These projects engage community scientists—local individuals eager to contribute by either assisting in habitat restoration efforts or conducting butterfly counts. Additionally, individuals can contribute by making donations to our various projects.  

The nice thing about invertebrates is that they live everywhere. So, you can plant habitats for pollinators in your own yard or planter at home. If you lack a yard, consider engaging in community gardening initiatives. By establishing pollinator habitats throughout urban areas, you can foster connectivity crucial for the survival and thriving of pollinators.. I’ve done that in my own yard where I’ve replaced all my bluegrass with native grasses and pollinator plants and floral arrays of things. 

Q: What advice do you have for others who aren’t interested in conservation efforts or feel that they can’t make a difference?

A:

I think there’s hope in the invertebrate and conservation world. In urban and suburban areas with more or less a biological desert, replacing Kentucky bluegrass and similar grasses with native grasses and flowers really does help pollinators do better. I think there’s been an increase in the number of people who really want to do that, and I think it’s changing the landscape. It’s going to save water which we need to do in the Front Range and basically anywhere. Water is life, of course, so doing what’s going to save water is going to help in some capacity. It’s going to create a pollinator habitat, and I think that’s what’s happening and we’re seeing more and more of this occurring. So I think there is hope. I think we’re seeing the newer generation have a renewed commitment to conservation that was maybe a little lost for a while considering Earth Day was first created in the 70s. After a while, it’s resurging, and I think climate change has a lot to do with that. We have to get on top of it now because we’re already seeing the impacts of climate change. 

Thanks to our following partners and sponsors for supporting many of these projects: National Environmental Education Foundation, Wildlife Protection Solutions, Tanzanian Elephant Fund, PT Sama Seudati Lestari (SSL), Katie Adamson Conservation Fund