On the wings of a butterfly

Conserving fragile butterfly populations through the creation of urban green spaces.

Butterflies are an indicator of a healthy environment that is conducive for nature to thrive in. However, in recent times, butterfly numbers in urban settings have begun to decline rapidly.

Butterflies are fragile creatures that are sensitive to environmental and ecological changes. Their abundance is an indicator of a healthy environment that is conducive for nature to thrive in. In recent times, butterfly numbers in urban settings have shown decline with the destruction of their natural habitats.

The butterfly garden located at the MJF Centre Moratuwa, a part of the Dilmah Conservation Sustainable Agriculture Research Centre (DCSARC), was established to attract disappearing butterfly populations back into urban green spaces. This garden was created after careful planning, which included the identification of host plants which are integral to their existence. Two years after its completion, the garden plays host to over 50 species of butterflies and the concept is now being replicated in other parts of Colombo.

Four carefully planned butterfly gardens have now been established at Royal College in Colombo 7, at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo 8, the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies and at the Central Environmental Authority premises just outside Colombo in Sri Jayawardenapura, Kotte. The gardens were created using plants from the DCSARC nursery. These spaces, whilst nurturing butterfly populations, will also provide visually pleasing urban havens for people to relax in and take a break from the trials of daily life.

As butterfly numbers improve, so do those of their predators. Additionally, butterflies help distribute pollen across western Sri Lanka, increasing vegetative land cover which leads to the absorption of more Carbon Dioxide.

School children from various regions of the island visit the Butterfly Garden established by Dilmah Conservation at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies. This garden was declared open at ‘Who Cares about Nature’; a two day event that focused on the role of business in serving the community and environment.