HELP US TO BUILD A TROPICAL BUTTERFLY HOUSE, AND CONTRIBUTE TO WORLDWIDE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION.
Our aim with this project is to build a large butterfly free flight zone, which will be the only one of it's kind in Norfolk. With this wonderful new facility, we can all contribute towards the conservation of butterflies.
But first, some information about who we are...
The Bug Parc, The UK's most unique Zoo !
The Bug Parc is one of the UK's most unique attractions, with over 200 different species of exotic tropical creepy crawlies from all over the globe, it really is a one of a kind AWARD WINNING ZOO.
Heteropteryx dilatata ( Malayan Jungle Nymph)
The Bug Parc is the culmination of a dream for Director Martin French, who spent many years breeding and growing his own collection of invertebrates as an avid enthusiast of the hobby. In 2020 he eventually took the plunge and poured his life savings into building this unique tropical invertebrate zoo on a five acre field in the middle of nowhere near the small village of Lenwade in Norfolk.
Building of the Parc started just two weeks before life was turned upside down by both BREXIT and the Covid pandemic. After delays of nearly 14 months and a vast overspend on budgets due to the problems experienced, the Parc opened its doors with only 30% of the Parc completed and a will to build the rest over the next ten years. Even now, this still partially completed Parc offers an unprecedented experience of the amazing minibeast world.
Martin French, pictured above.
Our next big project, A Tropical Butterfly free flight zone.
The Bug Parc is a unique, small, specialist, award-winning invertebrate zoo and we are looking to expand and build our next big project...our tropical butterfly Zone. This will be the only free flight butterfly house in Norfolk.
We urgently need your support to make this happen.
The Butterfly House will be partially funded by a means-tested grant from our local council which we have been awarded providing we can raise the match funded amount required to obtain the grant. We need your help to raise this match-funding total so that we can secure the grant and the future of this amazing conservation project.
We plan to build a 90ft by 30ft free-flight polytunnel, which will be heated using our existing eco-friendly ground source heating system, and will showcase over 1000 free-flying tropical butterflies on any given day. These colourful flying beauties will fly around two central ponds, a raised koi pond and a natural goldfish pond, surrounded by lush tropical plants and visitor walkways.
With this additional all-weather attraction, we will be able to continue our mission to showcase more invertebrate species and a completely different class of insect, helping us to further educate our visitors, especially our school groups, as to the importance of these under-appreciated, colourful flying insects and the way in which they help our planet. Your funding, helping us to build this amazing new project, will attract new visitors, guaranteeing the future of the Parc and will help us to contribute to worldwide butterfly conservation !
Polyommatus Icarus (Common blue Butterfly)
So, how does building a butterfly house in the UK help Butterfly conservation around the world ?
To help answer this question, let's start with another question. Where do most other zoos, butterfly houses and other facilities that display butterflies, source their animals ?
They are bought from the countries in which the butterflies are native in the wild.
Now, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking that this practice is completely counterintuitive to the conservation of butterflies, I mean, how would importing native butterflies from the country of origin help their conservation status ? The answer to that question is a revolutionary idea that has hugely boosted the worldwide conservation efforts of butterflies in recent years...Butterfly Farming.
All the exotic butterfly species you may see in display's internationally are usually native to places like Kenya, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines as well as other tropical countries around the globe. Unfortunately, all these locations have a common problem, something we regularly hear about on the news or online all the time...deforestation.
Image Source - www.easternarc.or.tz/butterfly-farming-thats-strange/
Butterfly Farmers from Africa.
For most native people from these countries, they are forced to make a meagre living by taking up whatever work they can find, which unfortunately leads to unsustainable exploitation of the local habitat and thus causes environmental degradation. Jobs like firewood collection, charcoal making, and tree/pole timbering all add to the scourge of deforestation. Also, the clearing out of the forests and jungles for agricultural purposes and the selling of cash crops such as sugar cane, rice, beans, cassava, and potatoes add to the problem. These are usually the only way the native peoples can make a living, albeit still leaving families below the poverty line, in such a low economic area.
This is where Butterfly Farming meets conservation.
In recent years, charitable organisations have funded small communities in these low income areas with the education, tools and equipment needed to start farming their local butterfly species, which they can sell around the globe to zoo's and other like places for display, without hurting and damaging the population and conservation of that local species of Butterfly...indeed, these farming methods boost the local indigenous populations.
Image Source - www.easternarc.or.tz/butterfly-farming-thats-strange/
Butterfly Farmers from Africa.
Here is how it works,
Typically, a female Butterfly will lay anywhere between 100 - 500 eggs after breeding. In the wild, very few of those offspring will reach adulthood. In fact, sometimes only 5% or less of those hundreds of caterpillars might survive to maturity and reproduce, partly due to being predated upon, but also because of the impacts humans are having on their environment. With the introduction of local butterfly farms, all of those hundreds of butterflies are free to breed, lay eggs and hatch as caterpillars, transforming into a chrysalis, emerging as a butterfly and repeating this process over and over again without the challenges the larvae meet in the wild as the farmers protect their stocks from predators at all stages of life.
Because typically so few wild butterflies make it to adulthood and reproduce, the farmer only needs to release about 20% of those farm reared butterflies into the wild, to massively boost their population and thus cause a positive effect to their conservation efforts. This is often managed and controlled by government managed quotas, The rest of that particular clutch can be sold to buyers around the world, to places like us and other zoo's that display them in captivity.
This means it's a win, win, win with everyone involved !
- The Population of Butterflies are hugely boosted in the wild.
- The native people to that area have much more sustainable work and better income, pushing families out of the poverty trap.
- Precious habitat is saved for the use of farming for butterflies and there is much more incentive to protect these lands because of it, thus safeguarding precious areas of the environment not just for butterfly species, but for all living organisms that live there.
- Butterflies can be sold to zoo's and displays around the world, creating the opportunities for many people to see these rare, exotic and magnificent creatures with no harmful impact to their wild population, therefor furthering education about these important invertebrates and greatly increasing awareness of their conservation.
What will your money help to build ?
This project aims to build two large polytunnels. One will be used for growing year round plants and food for the butterflies, as well as a facility where we can breed some of the species we will keep at The Bug Parc. Of course we will still need to buy butterflies from farms around the world, as some species still require specific plant species and very specific environmental conditions that we won't always be able to replicate. This is a positive though, as it still requires us to buy butterfly pupa, thus continuing the funding of these butterfly farms around the world, boosting their conservation, and the farmers lives, as we've discussed above.
The second polytunnel will be the free flying Tropical Butterfly House, accessible for schools and visitors to explore. This polytunnel will be planted with an array of tropical fauna for the butterflies and moths, a path for visitors to follow around large Koi Carp and goldfish ponds and there will be feeding stations in designated areas for our visitors to get up close and personal with our colourful butterflies. This tropical paradise in the middle of Norfolk will allow our visitors to feel like they are in a tropical forest, feel like they are close to nature and they might even experience our butterflies landing on them !
An information cabin near the entrance of the butterfly house will be built. This cabin will contain educational wallboards explaining the interesting facts and details about butterflies, including the specific species we will be housing, as well as photos inside the cabin and butterfly house to help you identify the species you'll be hoping to find !
Once donations have been received and the crowdfunding deadline has closed, if enough money is raised, the aim is to start building works in October 2024 for an opening of the butterfly house in March/April 2025. These dates are subject to change and once the building of the project is underway, regular updates of the progress will be given and shared on our social media.
Ornithoptera euphorion (Cairns birdwing Butterfly)
Educating people on the significance of these beautiful creatures !
One of the main aims of The Bug Parc is to educate people about the profound effect invertebrates have on our day to day lives, the importance of why we should be protecting them and the natural world, and the negative impacts humans are having on these important creepy-crawlies, as well as the negative impacts we are experiencing due to the damage we are causing in our modern world.
The Butterfly House will be no different, as we will be continuing to educate our visitors about the wonderful world of minibeasts with the addition of the diverse and wonderful order of Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths).
For example, did you know;
- Butterflies and moths belong to the second largest order of Insects !
With about 180,000 described species, the order of Lepidoptera represents 10% of ALL species of living organisms !
- Many Butterflies can taste with their feet !
Many Butterflies have special receptors called chemoreceptors on their feet, which they use to taste the plants they land on. This helps determine if the plant is either sweet, bitter, sour and salty. This also helps them decide which plants are best to lay their eggs on !
- The largest Butterfly in the world has a wingspan of up to 28cm !
The Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest species of butterfly. It's only found in a small province in Papua New Guinea and considered an endangered species.
- The fastest Butterflies can reach speeds of up to 37 miles per hour !
The Skipper butterflies from the family Hesperiidae are the fastest of them all, with some species reaching speeds of 37 miles per hour, that's as fast as a Lion !
- 5 UK Butterfly species have gone extinct in the last 150 years !
The Large Copper, Mazarine Blue, Black-veined White, Large Blue and Large Tortoiseshell are species of UK Butterflies that have gone extinct in the last 150 years ! As well as that, three-quarters of British butterflies are in decline !
Let's make the world a better place for Butterflies and Invertebrates
With these facts in mind, education about these remarkable creatures cannot be understated as butterflies are an important component of this planets biodiversity. Areas that are rich in Butterflies are also rich in other invertebrates and wildlife. They are an indicator of a healthy environment and ecosystem as they are key pollinators as well as an important element of the food chain, providing food for birds, bats and other insectivores.
Danaus plexippus (Monarch Butterfly)
Helping fund this project will be one more small, important step forward to helping the wider invertebrate world in general, as education about the natural world is one of the most important tools anyone can provide to helping it regrow and expand. Any amount of money that you can donate, large or small, is greatly appreciated, and we have many tiers and rewards for you to donate towards !
Donation Rewards
These are the reward tiers you can choose to donate towards, but any donation, however large or small, is greatly appreciated and goes towards a fantastic educational and enjoyable facility !
- Bronze Reward - £50 Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Bronze reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
- Silver Reward - £200+ Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Silver reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
+ Receive a 1 year season ticket to The Bug Parc !
+ Receive an invitation to the opening of the new Butterfly Farm !
- Gold Reward - £500+ Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Gold reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
+ Receive a 2 year season ticket to The Bug Parc !
+ Receive a 3 hour guided tour of The Bug Parc and Exhibits by the owner, Martin French !
+ Receive an invitation to the opening of the new Butterfly Farm !
- Platinum Reward - £1000+ Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Platinum reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
+ Receive a 5 year season ticket to The Bug Parc !
+ Receive a 3 hour guided tour of The Bug Parc and Exhibits for up to TWO people by the owner, Martin French !
+ Receive an invitation to the opening of the new Butterfly Farm !
- Emerald Reward - £2000+ Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Emerald reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
+ Receive a 10 year season ticket to The Bug Parc !
+ Receive a 3 hour guided tour of The Bug Parc and Exhibits for up to FOUR people by the owner, Martin French !
+ Receive an invitation to the opening of the new Butterfly Farm !
- Diamond Reward - £5000+ Donation
Your name will be shown on a special donation plaque under the Diamond reward level as an appreciation of your donation. Point out your name to family and friends when you visit as bragging rights, showing off how your donation helped build this amazing facility !
+ Receive a LIFETIME season ticket to The Bug Parc !
+ Receive a 3 hour guided tour of The Bug Parc and Exhibits for up to TEN people by the owner, Martin French !
+ Receive an invitation to the opening of the new Butterfly Farm !