A free butterfly mailing list, started in August 2005, showed that there are many people who are concerned about butterflies and need a place to talk, share, and learn. The more people talked and asked questions, the more we realized the need for butterfly research and funding, butterfly conservation focus, butterfly breeding education, and butterfly gardening instruction.

Concern for butterflies and their environment motivated us. We brought our visions and dreams together to create The “Association for Butterflies; Research, Conservation, Farming, and Gardening” in February of 2006.

July 7, 2006, the association was announced although not yet operational. On August 1, the association became operational, although still a skeleton.

As others join our efforts ‘for butterflies’, we know butterflies will find more host plants and safe habitat.

Families will learn about butterflies and will avoid killing ‘those worms’ as they learn caterpillars are simply butterflies in a juvenile stage of life.

Children and adults alike will marvel at metamorphosis as they plant host plants in their yards and students will produce fantastic science fair and 4-H projects focusing on butterflies.

Research will help everyone understand butterfly predators, parasites, parasitoids, and diseases. We will learn how to protect butterflies as much as possible, in the world, in the garden, in the wild, in our classes, and in our farms.

Gardeners will add host plants to their landscape for both butterflies and people to enjoy.

Scientists, farmers, gardeners, hobbyists, enthusiasts, will join together to promote butterflies at every level from butterfly watching to studying major diseases that affect their life cycle.

Everyone will be encouraged to promote planting of butterfly habitat at their homes, in their communities, and in the world.

Butterfly Releases have become an enjoyable and spiritual addition to many events. ‘For Butterflies’ will work to promote the industry. Along with promoting the industry as a whole, the association will teach farmers how to market their own businesses in order to promote their businesses and the industry in general.