The largest butterfly house or dome in the world, founded by Clive Farrell, will be built in a 26-acre site Chiswell Green, St. Albans, Hertfordshire in Great Britain. It will boast a collection of approximately 10,000 tropical butterflies consisting of 250 different species in a 300 foot wide complex.

Some of the more interesting planned sections of Butterfly World are caterpillar gardens, chrysalis pond, spiral proboscis walk and nectar gardens. The biome and walkthrough experience will include reproduced Mayan ruins and rainforest. This £25m world-class visitor attraction which opens in 2009 till 2011 in few phases, is expected to attract about 1 million visitors a year where 40% of them are children.

3D impression of Butterfly World UK from the sky. Image is courtesy of The Independent.

The aim of this butterfly dome is to raise immediate awareness of the current threats to the world’s butterfly and moth population and educate the public on conserving all flora and fauna in this world. This project will also largely help towards funding the organisations that care for and preserve the natural environment, which will benefit the public in return, as 10% of Butterfly World’s annual profit will be donated to the Butterfly World Trust to invest into research, conservation and community projects.

Clive also said “More than three quarters of British butterfly species have declined in the last 20 years, some of them very rapidly. That is worrying, not least because these declines indicate an underlying deterioration of the environment as a whole. For the sake of future generations we must take action now. Butterfly World is doing just that. It is putting the issues on the agenda and is seeking to help reverse this environmental catastrophe.”

From left to right, David Bellamy - botanist, environmental campaigner and broadcaster, Clive Farrell - world renown lepidopterist and Sir David Attenborough - broadcaster and naturalist.

Dear Clive, we thank you for continuous inspiration to us.

“Making butterfly spotting accessible gets people in touch with nature. Butterflies are essential indicators of the health of the environment, as well as being beautiful and quite wonderful to watch. It’s an honour to be recognised for doing something I love.” said Clive.

Butterflies are continuing to lose their habitat not only in the UK but also every part of the world. Here are some facts about butterflies in the UK alone:

• During the 20th century, 5 butterfly species (in Great Britain) and 60 moth species became extinct!
• Losses of butterfly species have outstripped those of birds and plants!
• The number of butterfly species on the priority endangered species list has more than doubled in twelve years, rising from 11 butterflies and 53 moths in 2005 to 24 butterflies and over 150 moths in 2007!
• The Large Blue or Maculinea arion – the UK’s largest and rarest blue butterfly became extinct in the British Isles in 1979!