Butterfly Pavilion

Butterfly Pavilion, based in Westminster, Colorado, is the first standalone, nonprofit invertebrate zoo in the world accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Its flagship Wings of the Tropics conservatory is home to more than 1,800 free flying butterflies representing over 200 species from around the world. Beyond the conservatory, Butterfly Pavilion runs conservation projects across Colorado and around the world, including a project in Tanzania and Botswana that uses African honeybees to reduce conflict between farmers and elephants. In Mexico, Butterfly Pavilion recently completed a large scale reforestation project in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, planting 100,000 native oyamel fir trees across 32 sites, including the Sierra El Campanario and Sierra Chincua sanctuaries, to restore critical monarch winter habitat.

A Shared Stake in the Monarch’s Journey

Butterfly Pavilion’s reforestation work protects the same Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve our Monarchs of Mexico expedition visits each winter, giving millions of migrating monarchs a safe place to cluster after a journey of more than 2,000 miles. As a Colorado based conservation partner with deep expertise in invertebrate biology, Butterfly Pavilion also runs pollinator conservation projects across Colorado, work that connects to the same insect life our guides point out on expeditions throughout the Rockies. Visit Butterfly Pavilion’s website to learn more about their work.