Eco Warriors Visit A Butterfly Park

Time for a field trip! As a part of the ‘Bees and Butterflies’ thematic program, on Sunday 3 April 2022, Eco Warriors visited the Bali Butterfly Park in Tabanan Regency to observe the life cycles of butterflies. This activity provided opportunities for the Eco Warriors to see, interact, and even touch numerous living endemic butterflies of Indonesia.

During this activity, they learned about the complete metamorphosis of butterflies, observed directly how the chrysalis transforms into a beautiful butterfly, how moths and butterflies differ from each other, and even how to hold a butterfly without hurting it. While trying to hold the butterfly, some students were afraid, others enthusiastic and brave. They were very careful not to hurt the butterflies that they were holding. 

Near the butterfly breeding house, at the park’s museum, the Eco Warriors saw hundreds of preserved butterflies. They were amazed that adult butterflies are so wonderfully diverse in shape, size, and colour. In addition to the butterflies, the Eco Warriors also saw other kinds of living insects in the park, including moths, grasshoppers, beetles, tarantulas, and scorpions. Some students took the opportunity to take photos with grasshoppers shaped like leaves and twigs.

At the end of the field trip, the Eco Warriors played a butterfly colouring game. They were asked to colour the butterfly according to the actual colour and motif they observed. In addition to practising the art of drawing, this game also strengthens the student’s memory and accuracy in observing objects. Before returning home, Begawan bought two chrysalises of the Papilio memnon and Idea blanchardi species to be observed and later released at the Learning Centre. The Eco Warriors were very happy to be able to see so many butterflies. (Ketut Desy)