Unique experience that teaches and transforms
Text and Photos by Lisa Davis-Burnett
They flutter by, they catch your eye, those delightful air dancers, like messengers from the spirit world. They take your breath away; they take your stress away. They reduce you to a state of wonder, you’re a child again, amazed and grateful.
The Butterfly Farm is one of the things that make our island so special. It’s a unique place where tourists and islanders can come and observe the glorious beauty and extreme mysteries of nature. Located on the French side along the road to Le Galion Beach, near Orient Bay, the Butterfly Farm offers all who enter a blessing of one kind or another.
I visited this week and although I came when they were quite busy with busloads from the Tuesday cruise ships, once inside I enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere, shared in pleasant conversations with young and old, and learned quite a lot about the small, slow and graceful world of the butterfly. Residents and stay-over tourists, I learned, are best advised to visit on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays, when things are a bit less crowded. But even at ‘prime time’ I had no complaints. The Butterfly Farm is open every day, from 9:00am until 3:30pm (the last tour starts at 3:00pm) and the butterflies are active all year around.
I and a group of tourists were guided around the garden by St. Maartener Francisco ‘Tito’ Webster, a former engineer who used to work for GEBE. The Butterfly Farm’s tours are offered in English or French and last about 20 minutes. The tour was informative, educational and fun, but in my humble opinion, the biggest mistake you could make is taking the tour and then hurrying out of the Butterfly Farm too soon. The magic only begins to set in when you stop and take your time. There are benches in the garden, beckoning you to sit and wait. As you rest in the stillness and quiet, your mind wanders, and soon the butterflies come to you. First one or two, then suddenly they are everywhere. Their delicate wings flash vibrant blues or rich reds, each one a masterpiece of intricate design.
Tito, our tour guide, showed us how most butterflies start their lives as eggs on the underside of leaves. Each type of butterfly needs its own special “host plant” on which to hatch and grow as a caterpillar. The eggs are so tiny one might never notice them, but once they hatch into caterpillars they will feed on those same leaves for several weeks, storing up energy in their bodies until eventually they are ready to build a chrysalis and begin to convert themselves into butterflies. They may stay in their cocoon-like chrysalis for months and enjoy their wings for only a few dozen days. All these stages are visible in the Butterfly Farm. We even had the chance to see a butterfly hatch and take its first flight. Captivating!
The Butterfly Farm began seventeen years ago and has survived many hurricanes, including the infamous Hurricane Luis of 1995. Founder William Slayter has assembled a top notch staff of patient and knowledgeable folks, including Beverly Matthew, who organizes the schedule and runs the gift shop. Beverly came to the Butterfly Farm soon after it began and for sixteen years she has been beaming her special smile and welcoming all who come.
Throughout the world, there are 120,000 different species of moths that have been identified. Species of butterflies worldwide number around 18,000. In the Butterfly Farm there are hundreds of exotic species of moths and butterflies from all around the world, including many from South America, South East Asia, the Pacific Islands, Australia, Asia, and Africa. The trick is to have the host plants growing in the garden, so the creatures can mate and lay eggs. Among some of the favourites are the large and iridescent Blue Morpho butterflies from the rainforests of South America, the Orange Tip Butterflies from Cambodia, and the largest moth in the world: the Atlas Moth. Many of the most popular species are local, such as the Monarch butterflies, which are hosted on the Milk Weed plant, which is found all over the friendly island. Additionally the exterior garden of the Butterfly Farm is planted to attract wild butterflies to their fragrant flowers. The butterflies can smell the nectar of the flowers from miles away, even up to nine miles away!
The Butterfly Farm is located in Quartier D’Orleans, St. Martin. Phone 590-873121. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit their website: www.thebutterflyfarm.com
