A sudden noise or movement brings about an explosion of color as countless butterflies flutter into the air. These highly delicate insects, once plentiful on Taiwan, are now decreasing in species and population, but an entomologist-turned-conservationist is working to reverse the trend, particularly in Maolin.
In December, when Taiwan's winter begins, a silent but vivid annual event takes place as approximately a million butter flies migrate to the island's warmer southern regions to escape the season's cool winds. Instinct draws them to rest in several spots, most notably Maolin in Kaohsiung County, where they winter until March. The sight of hundreds of thousands of crow butterflies with purple wings that appear to change colors as they catch the sunlight at different angles is a thrill for most individuals. The event is all the more remarkable as it is only one of two known instances of butterfly migrations to wintering habitats in the world. In North America, monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus) travel to Mexico for the winter. But whereas Mexico plays host to only one species of monarch butterflies, Taiwan welcomes four species of migrating crow butterflies and at least six species of tiger butterflies.
Taiwan has not been dubbed the "kingdom of butterflies" without reason. The country is home to nearly 400 species of butterflies and has one of the highest concentrations of butterfly species in the world, due to the island's altitudinal variety. In the 1960s, during the peak of Taiwan's trade in the winged insects, butterflies were sold by the kilogram. At that time, a thriving industry of turning butterflies into decorative items was created in places such as Puli, central Taiwan.
Butterfly habitats, including the insects' wintering homes, however, are dwindling and economic development is to blame. According to Chan Chia-lung, a board director and founder of the Butterfly Conservation Society of the ROC established in 1996, during the 1980s the plains-dwelling Han Chinese destroyed a purple butterfly valley in Liukuei Township in Kaohsiung County by planting fruit orchards. At the same time, two species, the large crow butterfly ( Euploea phaenareta juvia) and the monarch butterfly, once commonly seen in the island's plains have completely disappeared from the island, says Chan.
By comparison, Maolin, nestled at the foot of the Central Mountain Range, remains in a more pristine state. The smallest town in Taiwan in terms of population, Maolin is inhabited by fewer than 2,000 residents, mostly people belonging to the Rukai and Paiwan aboriginal tribes, and it continues to attract butterflies in the winter. "Indigenous peoples have had to rely on the land for generations, so they have a closer relationship with and a deeper affection for nature," Chan notes. "That's why their environment has had a better chance of remaining intact."
Signs of development, however, have reached even Maolin, which has become something of a tourist destination because of its hot springs and other attractions. When Chan first visited Maolin's purple butterfly valley around 1990 to conduct research as an entomology enthusiast, he was not particularly impressed by the crow butterflies as they were not rare. Upon his return to the area in 1999, however, he was shocked by the dramatic decline of wintering butterflies. He estimated that about 200,000 butterflies had disappeared due to the construction of a parking lot that was built to accommodate tourists but destroyed part of the insects' winter home.
Chan decided to take action by appealing to the central government's Council of Agriculture for assistance, and since 1999, the council has commissioned him to organize and carry out a conservation project with an annual budget of NT$600,000 (US$17,390). His efforts are even drawing the attention of those beyond the ranks of butterfly enthusiasts. In November 2002, Chan was cited for his work by the Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants and received NT$1 million (US$28,990).
Chan's conservation project involves educating Maolin residents about the importance of protecting butterflies and their habitats. The results of such efforts are now beginning to appear. An area has been marked off for a butterfly sanctuary, and residents have started to assist Chan in patrolling the valleys, guiding visitors, and growing plants to serve as nourishment for butterflies and their larvae. The activists have also spent three winters marking tens of thousands of butterflies to track the exact migration routes, which still remain a mystery. "We need to mark more butterflies," Chan says. "And we must do more to publicize our research so people will report to us if they spot a marked butterfly."
Chan believes that Maolin residents today have a greater awareness of butterfly conservation, which is important to sustain the butterfly habitats. A sign that the message is getting through came in December 2002 with the establishment of the Purple Butterfly Valley Conservation Society in Maolin, one of only two butterfly conservation societies in Taiwan. "Why should locals always rely on outsiders to protect our assets?" asks Kuo Liang-hwei, the founder of the society. "The butter flies' winter habitats are located especially close to human activities, so they need special care."
There is reason for concern as the public has already taken notice of Maolin as a winter haven for butterflies, especially after the Maolin National Scenic Area opened in October 2001. Chan is not opposed to bringing tourism to the town; in fact, people can now take guided tours of the butterfly valley after applying with the local township office in advance. He believes that ecotourism should develop only on the condition that a complete conservation project simultaneously takes place. The conservationist is optimistic in the success of efforts to create Taiwan's first official butterfly and insect refuge, believing that it is possible to strike a balance between economic development and ecological conservation by dividing the sanctuary into different parts and grading them according to their suitability for human activities.
In general, Maolin's conditions have improved as a winter spot for butterflies, thanks to the attention it has received in recent years. But conservationists believe more must be done if Taiwan is to keep its reputation as a "kingdom of butterflies." Chen Shih-yang, president of the Butterfly Conservation Society, observes that the practice of catching butterflies in large quantities for commercial use is rare today, mainly because it is no longer profitable. Instead, Taiwan is facing a much more devastating development--the destruction of butterfly habitats through human encroachment. "Indiscriminate land reclamation and the planting of graves have done great damage to the butterflies' habitats," Chen notes. "They're such delicate creatures. Once you destroy the plants they rely on, they have little chance of surviving."
Large butterflies that are endangered have gained the attention of the government and conservationists, such as the birdwing butterfly (Troides magellanus) of Orchid Island and the broad-tailed swallowtail butterfly ( Agehana maraho), Taiwan's national butterfly, but it is the unidentified smaller species that are in danger of disappearing without ever being found or named, Chen says.
To take care of the problem at its root, the butterfly society has been trying to enhance public awareness of butterfly conservation by organizing training camps for elementary school teachers and offering guided field trips to butterfly habitats. According to Chen, during the peak season in summer, the trips attract over 100 people at a time. The butterfly society is also calling for the planting of trees and other vegetation to produce food for butterflies in public areas, such as along freeways and parks.
This year, Chen is working on a project to transform a suburban road in Taipei into a model butterfly path. "I hope this will be a long-term project that will continue for at least ten years with support from neighborhood residents," he notes. Indeed, conservation is a long-term commitment. It takes years for saplings to grow, and it will take even longer before butterfly conservation becomes a widespread public concern. But the success of Maolin's efforts is encouraging. And al though Taiwan may no longer be a paradise for large numbers of butterflies, there are signs that progress is being made to bring them back again.