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Transplanted Beauties
A paper kite butterfly (Idea leuconoe), native of Southeast Asia, sits on a lantana (Verbenaceae), native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa. Neither are indigenous to Herefordshire – but they are quite at home in the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo.
One of the many things that this year has highlighted is how mobile we have become. I have immediate family on three continents, and I’m used to seeing them regularly. Covid-19 border-closures and travel-bans put an end to my plans this year!
For the most part, I’ve coped, and I have it a lot easier than many people. But with all the recent talk out of the US about Thanksgiving and family feasts, and with Christmas around the corner, I’ve been feeling more lonely and isolated.
So, it was with real joy that I found an old, forgotten file of photos from a day out in Herefordshire, England, with family I haven’t been able to see in person for far too long.
I made a number of journeys to Hereford, in the West Midlands of England, during the years that my daughter lived there (see: Hereford). This particular trip was with my husband, since departed, to spend time with my daughter, her husband and my granddaughter, who was at that time just over a year old. In the intervening years, my granddaughter has gained a brother, and has grown up beyond recognition: small people change so quickly!
Naturally, day trips with a toddler need to be close by and child-friendly. An afternoon surrounded by colourful butterflies from around the world at the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo, some problem-solving at the the adjoining “aMazing Hedge Puzzle”, and ice creams along the River Wye, fit the bill beautifully. These attractions were conceived of and built by brothers Lindsay and Edward Heyes who still manage the complex. In the UK, a “zoo” is defined as any establishment where animals of any wild species – including insects – are exhibited to the public. The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 requires that if animals are to be kept in enclosures, their environment must allow them to behave in as normal a manner as possible.
Consequently, most of the butterflies at the zoo are free-flying in a warm and humid space, lush with greenery.
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Pastorale – Symonds Yat West
This is how I picture England: old brick and stone manor houses, and bucolic sheep in the fields. (iPhone5)
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Reading the Labels
There is easy-to access information all around the different enclosure areas.
Caterpillars
Every stage of the life-cycle is illustrated.
Butterfly at Rest
Unfortunately, if I made notes at the time, I have long since lost them!
Blue Morpho Peleides
I spent a lot of time hunting the internet before realising that these are the same species: the ventral wing surface – the underside – of the adult butterfly has beautiful eyespots, but none of that gorgeous blue seen on the upper.
“Catch me if you Can!”
In the Lantana
Blue and Black
Wonder and a Handful of Rocks
The butterflies are quick enough to be at no risk from a curious toddler.
Emerald Swallowtail – Papilio Palinurus
These are native to Southeast Asia, but popular in butterfly houses around the world.
Dad and Daughter
Trays of food attract butterflies to accessible observation spots.
Rice-Paper Butterfly
The paper kite butterflies (Idea leuconoe) are never still.
Stones
Our toddler was as fascinated by the rocks on the pathways as she was by the butterflies.
Wonder
Watching young children examine the world is always a wonderful experience.
Small Red, Black and White Butterfly
I never did succeed in identifying this pretty little thing.
Malachite Butterfly – Siproeta Stelenes
The pretty malachite, named for the bright green mineral malachite, is one of the most common butterfly species in Central and northern South America.
Eye-to-Eye
One of the Heyes Brothers
Also operated by brothers Lindsay and Edward Heyes, the aMazing Hedge Puzzle is a short walk away. I don’t know which of the brothers this is, but he proudly shows us his maze lapel pin as he welcomes us.
The Jubilee Maze
The brothers planted over a kilometre of hedges in 1977 to form this traditional hedge maze with a charming temple at the centre.
Walking along the Wye
For a toddler, a walk along the the straighter paths beside the river separating England from Wales is just as engrossing as a maze.
In February 2020, Storm Dennis wreaked chaos across the Wye Valley. The river burst its banks at Symonds Yat and the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo (amongst other places) was inundated with as much as two metres of water. Coronavirus-lockdown and restrictions hampered the necessary repairs to the zoo; the centre is unlikely to reopen before next year (BBC News).
Nothing stays the same …
But, even if we have to stay home, we can keep smiling.
Until next time!
Photos: 24April2016
