Butterfly World, Hertfordshire facts for kids
 |
|
| Date opened | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Date closed | 2015 |
| Location | Chiswell Green, St Albans, England |
| Land area | 27 acres (11 ha) |
| Coordinates | 51°43′37″N 00°22′07″W / 51.72694°N 0.36861°W |
| Major exhibits | Tropical Butterfly House, Ant World, Insect Study |
The Butterfly World Project was a special place in Chiswell Green, near St Albans in the Hertfordshire, UK. It was created to show off and help people learn about butterflies and other insects. Sadly, it closed for good in 2015.
Contents
About Butterfly World
This project was a visitor attraction, meaning people could come and visit it. It was all about butterflies, which are beautiful insects. The goal was to teach visitors about these amazing creatures and their habitats.
History of the Project
The idea for Butterfly World came from a lepidopterist named Clive Farrell. A lepidopterist is a scientist who studies butterflies and moths. The project was officially launched in 2008 in London.
Clive Farrell got help from many famous people who supported his idea. These supporters are called patrons. Some well-known patrons included the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough and gardener Alan Titchmarsh.
Building Butterfly World
Construction started in 2009 at the site in Chiswell Green. This area was right next to the Gardens of the Rose. Different teams worked together to design and build the project. These included landscape architects, artists, and building designers.
.jpg)
Butterfly World first opened its doors to visitors in the spring of 2009. When it first opened, it had several cool features:
- A chalk garden shaped like a butterfly.
- Wildflower meadows designed to be a home for butterflies.
- A shop where visitors could buy souvenirs.
- A cafe for snacks and drinks.
- A plant boutique.
Developing the Park
The project was planned in different stages. In the second stage, more attractions were added:
- A special breeding center for butterflies.
- An artificial lake shaped like a chrysalis. A chrysalis is the pupa stage of a butterfly.
- A study center for learning more about insects.
- Picnic areas for families to enjoy.
- A children's play area.
- The cafe and visitor center were also made bigger.
- About 250,000 sunflowers were planted in a field. This field was meant for a future rainforest building.
Future Plans (Never Built)
The people behind Butterfly World had big plans for the future. The third stage was supposed to include:
- A special exhibition about leafcutter ants.
- An even bigger children's play area.
- New designs for the butterfly house and gardens.
The final and biggest plan was to build a huge rainforest biome. A biome is a large natural area with specific plants and animals. This rainforest would have been 100 meters wide. It was meant to be a home for many tropical creatures, like butterflies, hummingbirds, insects, spiders, and tropical plants. The plans included walkways, caves, and water features for visitors to explore. However, this large rainforest biome was never built.
Why it Closed
On December 14, 2015, the owners of the project announced that Butterfly World would close permanently.
See also
In Spanish: Butterfly World (Hertfordshire) para niños
