From Garbage to Garden

A 6 feet high garbage dumping site in the heart of Moratuwa is today, a garden full of flowering plants and hundreds of colourful butterflies. What was once a marshy land many years ago is now a breathtaking sight with its small and large butterflies flying around and feeding on the nectar plants in the midday sun.

The season is about to start – when all those neatly cocooned chrysalises come out in the form of beautiful and colourful butterflies. Their hibernating period is over and life is about to begin for these delicate creatures whose life span is only seven to 15 days.    

As the sun lights up the sky these attractive and colourful creatures in their different shapes and sizes, get ready to spread their wings and explore their new world. As one of the main pollinators in the country butterflies need to be protected.

A long pathway takes you to this butterfly garden of 26 perches, where more than a hundred butterflies were spotted recently. Butterflies do exist during the year. But it is during this time of the year that the population increases and they can be seen frequently. 

The peak period for the butterfly season is in January and February. However the butterfly season also depends on the weather pattern. Butterflies do exist during the year. But it is during this time of the year that the population increases and they can be seen frequently.

Conservation effort
This garden full of flowers and butterflies is a conservation effort by Dilmah who over the years have taken an initiative to do what they can to protect the remaining biodiversity in the country.

It all came about when Butterfly expert and Author of the book An illustrated Field Guide to the Fauna of Sri Lanka Volume 1 – Butterflies, Rajika Gamage was contacted by Dilmah to use that space to create an urban butterfly garden. 

Work started with Gamage getting the land cleared with the help of field assistants and the planting of host plants and then the nectar plants. Amazing as it may seem during the first two weeks since the plants were planted in 2009 five butterflies were spotted. 

By the end of the first year after the butterfly garden was completed 45 butterfly species were spotted by Gamage. Today there are 62 butterfly species that can be spotted from time to time. 

“You cannot spot all 62 species in one sighting as some of these butterfly species are seasonal. You can spot about 25 to 30 species every day. They lay their eggs on the underside of leaves to protect them from the rain, sunlight and predators. The eggs are usually yellow, green or white in colour,” Gamage explained.

He says almost all butterflies select a specific plant species to lay their eggs and the larval stage totally depends on the host plant to complete their life cycle.

Empty egg shell the first meal
“Research done on butterflies has revealed that it takes three weeks to complete the life cycle and during the rainy season the butterfly remains in the caterpillar or chrysalis form. The larva is the main feeding stage of the butterfly’s life cycle and it consumes the empty egg shell as its first meal,” Gamage said. 

At the end of the larva period it stops feeding and prepares itself for the next stage – the pupa he said while adding that the pupa is generally inactive and well camouflaged usually cryptically coloured and patterned to resemble foliage, bird droppings or other common natural objects. 

“This protective resemblance makes it much harder for birds and small mammals to locate them. But the rapid loss of habitat over the years has affected the breeding pattern of butterflies. Once out in the open has to face many threats to survive in an environment that has many predators. The few butterflies that do survive, have to face a hard life due to a loss of habitat and a lack of host plants to lay their eggs,” Gamage explained.

He goes on to say that butterflies have only a 5 per cent chance of survival because the eggs are eaten by ants and the larvae is eaten by birds and sometimes attacked by parasites. “As soon as the butterflies come out of their cocoons they are eaten by beetles and birds. Invasive plants can also pose a threat to these butterflies. The survival of butterflies depends more on their host plants than other factors,” Gamage said.

Host plants
If a butterfly is found in a particular area then you can be sure the host plant of that butterfly species is nearby he says and if anybody wants to attract butterflies to their home gardens they have to make sure they grow the host plants of these species.

“There are 248 butterfly species recorded in Sri Lanka and 31 are endemic. A butterfly takes three weeks to complete the life cycle and once out in the open has to face many threats to survive in the environment due to attacks by predators. But the few who do survive, have to face a hard life due to a loss of habitat and a lack of host plants to lay their eggs,” Gamage explained.

But today nature lovers and those interested in these colourful species have started introducing butterfly gardens in urban areas to protect them for future generations.

“In urban areas there are no trees and plants for butterflies to lay their eggs and drink nectar. So we have to make an environment that is suitable for butterflies to breed and survive. Ornamental flowering plants brought from overseas don’t have nectar and butterflies cannot feed on them. Protecting butterflies is important because they increase the biodiversity in the area,” Gamage said.

There are three urban butterfly gardens, the Dilmah Butterfly Garden, the Royal College butterfly garden and the Lady Ridgeway Hospital butterfly garden in Sri Lanka. 

Demand for butterfly gardens
“The demand for butterfly gardens is slowly growing now with hotels and hospitals looking at the option of having one in their premises. The Dilmah Butterfly Garden is presently the best maintained. “This area was earlier used as a garbage dump. We filled up the land and planted trees to attract butterflies and converted it into a butterfly garden. I encourage people to have home garden models that are suitable for butterflies and humans. Plants such as uguressalovi, kamaranka guava, lime, orange, katu anoda and seeni anoda can be grown as host plants for the butterflies and ginger plants, saffron plants and cinnamon plants can be grown for butterflies to lay their eggs,” Gamage explained. 

He says 72 plant species were planted at the Dilmah Butterfly Garden and some trees grew over the others and some species died. “The Dilmah Butterfly Garden presently has 50 plant species. The garden also has all three species of butterflies that include the seasonal ones, the migratory ones and those that are present all year round. When you start a butterfly garden you have to clean the garden regularly and maintain it well to reduce the predators,” Gamage said. 

He goes on to say that many people such as school children, university students and those doing research make use of the Dilmah Butterfly Garden because it has a wide variety of butterfly species.

Two lectures are conducted on butterfly gardens per month at the butterfly garden premises. Those who want plants to attract butterflies can get them from this place. “Plants are not sold but given free of charge to encourage people to start their own butterfly gardens and save these species from getting extinct,” Gamage explained. 

Visit to butterfly garden 
Every Wednesday anybody can come and see the butterfly garden under the guidance of Coordinator Dilmah Centre Prasad Tharanga from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

Some of the butterfly species that can be seen at the Butterfly Garden include the Blue Tiger, the Common Tiger, Jezebel, the Lemon Migrant, common Indian crow, Common Leopard, Bottle Emigrant, Common Rose and the Crimson Rose among others. The survival of butterflies depends more on their host plants than other factors. If a butterfly is found in a particular area then you can be sure the host plant of that butterfly species is nearby. If anybody wants to attract butterflies to their home gardens they have to make sure they grow the host plants of these species,” Gamage said. 

He says some people say caterpillars should be removed the Karapincha plants and the kathurumurunga plants because they eat the entire plant. “This is not so. The caterpillars will eat only some of the leaves and then form the chrysalis. They will not destroy the entire plant,” Gamage explained.  

Some of the endemic butterflies found in Sri Lanka include the Sri Lanka Birdwing, Sri Lanka Rose, Lesser Albatross, Sri Lanka Tiger, Sri Lanka Blue Oak leaf, Sri Lanka Treebrown, Sri Lanka Forester, Sri Lanka Tamil Bushbrown, Sri Lanka Jewel Four –ring, Sri Lanka Palmfly, Green’s silverline, Sri Lanka Clouded Silverline, Sri Lanka Indigo Royal, Milky Cerulean, Sri Lanka Hedge Blue, Hedge Hopper, Sri Lanka Decorated Ace and the Sri Lanka Paintbrush Swift. 

Correct environment 
“If you have the correct environment and grow the host plants it is not difficult to attract butterflies. A pond, little areas for them to hide when it is too hot and to save themselves from predators are some of crucial points you need to keep in mind when trying to start your own butterfly garden,” Gamage said. 

Commenting on the Butterfly Garden – Senior Brand Marketing Manager Merrill J. Fernando Group, Spencer Manuelpillai said the Dilmah Conservation Butterfly Garden in Moratuwa has been an attempt to create a tiny haven within the urban sprawl, inviting people to see these enchanting creatures up close. 

“But more importantly, the garden serves as a powerful educational tool, enlightening visitors about the crucial role butterflies play in our well-being and ecosystem as essential pollinators. The hope is that they are inspired to create mini butterfly gardens in their homes, fostering a deeper connection with these winged wonders,” Manuelpillai said.

Read the article on Ceylon Today by Risidra Mendis: https://ceylontoday.lk/2023/12/16/from-garbage-to-garden/