Lepidoptera Conservation

Butterfly and Moth Conservation in 7 simple steps

1) Watch butterflies and moths around your place.
2) Observe on which plants females lay eggs and caterpillars feed on.
3) Observe on which plants adults come for nectar and pheromones.
4) Observe on which plants the adults roost.
5) Observe where the adults puddle.
6) Collect seeds of the observed plants in step 2), 3), and 4) and disperse them where these plants can grow.
7) Create more spots like that of the ones observed in step 5) around your place.

Above 7 simple steps go a long way in Lepidoptera conservation and you are saved from all the scientific jargon.

If you want to do something more than this, you have many options -

1) Educate public about importance of nature.
2) Be an informant to WPSI ( Wildlife Protection Society of India ) about poaching in your area.
3) Participate in all the protests in your place that are towards saving water bodies, forests, hills, etc.
4) Write to decision makers and politicians to stop encroachments, illegal mining, illegal use of pesticides, stealing soil from river banks, commercialization of water bodies, etc.
5) Form an NGO to closely watch the eco-system around your area and to protect it. Join one, if it already exists.
6) Become a citizen scientist and help the real scientists and nature NGOs in gathering more information about flora and fauna.
7) Be a scientist yourself and sincerely work on research that will influence decision makers.
8) Try to reduce wasting of natural resources.
9) Create your own insect gardens and observe life cycles and interactions between various life forms.
10) Be good to all the creatures.
11) Publish your scientific observations in journals, local news papers, websites and books.
12) Try to promote natural history information in local languages

Kishen Das
Flutters