By Ranjit Shergill
When one thinks of Stratford Upon Avon, the first thought that comes to the forefront is the hometown of William Shakespeare, closely followed by its plethora of shops and restaurants that retain their listed building status.
However, take a walk across the River Avon bridge and a sea of botanical greenery swarms upon you and an arch with the words ‘Butterfly Farm’. This is the beginning of your unexpected yet most unique experience of your time in Stratford Upon Avon.
As you enter the reception of the Farm, you are greeted by a passionately warm environment, with pleasant temperatures in the height of winter, meaning no requirement for a jacket, and staff entertaining their visitors by capturing the occasional Butterfly that loses its radar by flying through a gap outside of their home territory!
To begin with, you can view a timeline of the Mayan Civilisation history and how this links to where Stratford Upon Avon sources their Butterflies from; in particular the region of Belize in Central America. There are illustrations showing how the Mayans used to count. Whilst India was the first country to utilise the number zero in a mathematical sense, it was the Mayans who initially had a symbol representing zero!
As you enter the Butterfly trail, you are met by fountains, mini ponds and glistening greenery, all of which are befitting settings for the Butterflies to flourish. The thought of ‘Fly a Butterfly’ comes to mind as you witness such creatures seamlessly move from branch to branch and they are master strategists at knowing when visitors want to capture their beauty. Indeed, they spread their wings and pause the moment they see the camera lenses shining or fixating on them.
Amongst the range of butterflies are those from the Asian Tropics, such as the Red Helen or the Malachite Butterfly from the American Topics, with its piercing green and black colours. Significantly, the Butterfly Farm demonstrates how many a species are able to co-exist amicably, as elsewhere you will Sumatran Pit Viper Snakes and Poison Frogs turned Toxin free, courtesy of the special diet the Butterfly Farm feeds them!
To demonstrate the versatility of the insects on display, there were a swarm of Leaf Cutter Ants crawling and chilling along the suspended ropes. As you continue walking along the multiple paths, transitioning from darkness to daylight, there are many a vivid description of all the nature that you can witness. Furthermore, there is the Discovery Zone, where you learn about the life cycle of a Butterfly, and you may even time it perfectly to see a Butterfly hatch live!
In summary, Stratford Upon Avon Butterfly Farm represents the beautiful bond these blissful creatures create with their visitors. Book your ticket here to come onboard the Butterfly experience.
