BUTTERFLY farm staff saw first hand how the Stratford attraction is supporting the livelihood of villagers in Kenya.
The Kipepeo Project aims to preserve the Arabuko Sokoke Forest – the largest single block of protected coastal forest remaining in East Africa.
It is home to around 250 species of butterfly, some which are transferred as pupae to the likes of Stratford Butterfly Farm.
The farming has helped improve the economy of villages around the forest – which is no longer just seen as a source of firewood – and better protecting the plants and animals of the forest.
And most of children of the many villages now attend school thanks to the extra income from preserving and enhancing butterfly habitats.
Butterfly farm manager Richard Lamb said: “Visiting the Kipepeo Project was an absolutely invaluable experience.
“To see first-hand the progress that has been made in butterfly breeding and the conservation of the Arabuko Sokoke Forest was overwhelming. “We were shown how our partnership with the Kipepeo Butterfly Project has vastly improved the living standards in the local villages and that of the villagers and farmers who breed the butterflies.
“When we were introduced to many of the breeders as ‘Stratford Butterfly Farm’, there were palpable whoops of delight and sincere thanks for the support that we have given them over the years.’’
Visit kipepeo.org for further details.
