Environment
The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is the largest butterfly flight aviary in Australia, and prides itself on providing a quality wildlife experience since 1987. Home to over 1500 magnificent tropical butterflies, we are totally self-sustaining in our butterfly breeding programme – which means no butterflies are taken from their natural environment. No other butterfly sanctuary in the world provides all of its own stock.
Did you know…
- We have approximately 2 acres planted out in food plants to feed our caterpillars.
- In 2013 laboratory staff successfully raised over 23,000 caterpillars to pupa stage.
- We average an 80% success rate from egg to pupae stage, that means that laboratory staff cut, washed and daily changed food-plant for about 27,600 caterpillars!
Environmental commitments in practice
- All garden waste and paper waste is composted and recycled back into our gardens.
- We estimate we create approximately 100 litres of compost every 6 months.
- We monitor how much rubbish is put out for collection and actively strive to reduce the number of bins.
- Containers containing chemicals used in the laboratory are taken to Mareeba Waste Management for recycling.
- Existing high energy bulbs are replaced by energy efficient bulbs.
- Lighting in the museum has been replaced by a type that turns on and off according to motion sensors.
- Insulation and curtains have been installed in the laboratory to reduce electricity consumption.
- Mulch is used on garden beds to reduce water loss.
- We have created signage in english within the park and no longer provide information leaflets which has resulted in a huge reduction in paper usage.
