WINGS OF COLOMBIA, NATIVE BUTTERFLIES

Sunrise hits the foothills of Colombia’s central mountain chain as the sun shines over the butterfly breeders that arrive daily to work at the Arenillo butterfly farm, located in the mountains of Palmira, Valle del Cauca.
The average lifespan of a butterfly is 30 days, and in nature less than 5% reaches maturity due to natural predators such as ants, birds and other animals that are part of the food chain. Through farming, more than 80% of butterflies reach their adult stage, helping avoid some species extinction.
Most breeders at the Arenillo butterfly farm are head of household mothers who have found in butterfly farming a new work alternative in this rural community with limited job opportunities. In the butterfly houses that “ALAS de Colombia” offers at no cost, local breeders place fruit and nectar for the male and female butterflies to mate and then lay their eggs in their preferred host plant.
Every day, local breeders gather eggs and larvae to take home to their feeding cages with the appropriate host plants which they grow in their own nursery gardens.
Caterpillars can eat up to 800 times their body weight and shed their skin five times until they become a pupa or chrysalis, and are ready to be sold to “ALAS de Colombia”, a company that for the past couple of years has become the “wind beneath the wings” of a community with limited job opportunities.
All of these activities help preserve nature, generate income, improve living conditions of rural communities and above all, show the world a different side of our country.
“ALAS de Colombia, mariposas Nativas Ltda”, started in 2001 as an exporter of live butterflies used in many butterfly house exhibits around the US and several European countries. After continuous exports during the years, Colombian butterflies are now spreading their wings in Dubai, considered today as the world's largest butterfly garden.
During one of their trips abroad, two visionary women, Patricia Restrepo and her daughter Vanessa Wilches, saw the fascination that imported tropical butterflies had on people, and decided to undertake their own flight, just like the butterflies, which has led to the:
• Prevention of peasants migrating into the city, as well as prevent them from joining subversive groups or growing illegal crops due to lack of job opportunities in their communities.
• Creation of a new line of non-traditional exports for the country.
• Fostering of a culture of respect and admiration for nature, with products & services such as “butterfly releases” for special events and the captivating "Maripupa®", where one can see firsthand "The Miracle of Life" as a chrysalis turns into a beautiful butterfly.
• Promotion of accessories and handicrafts which make use of butterflies that have finished their life cycle, thus immortalizing their beauty through innovative designs.
“ALAS de Colombia” has shown that sustainable nature conservation is only possible when it goes hand in hand with social development. Their butterflies represent dreams of development and inclusion of rural communities living and farming in the wild Colombian valleys and mountains... dreams of peace and democracy for those who opt to do business in conflict zones. And now, they would like to share these dreams with you, while wearing the wings of Colombia on their heart, from Valle del Cauca, Colombia to the rest of the world.
ALAS DE COLOMBIA... The Magic of Butterflies on Your Hands!

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Divino ese proyecto!

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felicitaciones! hermosa labor

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