Lime swallowtail butterfly award
Find out how to become a Champion in Conservation for lime swallowtail butterflies!
Lime swallowtail butterflies, also known as chequered swallowtails, can be found at Chester Zoo's Butterfly House.
The butterflies are native to Asia and Australia but have also spread to other regions, including the Caribbean. Pesticides are a big problem for butterflies including the Lime Swallowtail.
Farmed plants are often sprayed with chemicals like pesticides. However, these chemicals are very dangerous for wildlife!
Pesticides used on plants like cotton – which are farmed for clothing, cause a decrease in the amount of Lime Swallowtail and other butterflies seen.
As pollinators, butterflies are vital for wild plants and flowers which supports a huge range of biodiversity but they also help farming and agriculture by pollinating many of the crops we grow for food.
To help the butterflies and reduce our demand for cotton, we can choose sustainable clothing brands, buy our clothing second-hand at charity shops, or maintain and fix the clothes you currently own.
CONNECT BY:
LEARNING MORE
Learning fun and interesting facts about butterflies helps us to feel more connected to them. Try researching different types of butterflies across the world and find out how they are threatened.
VISITING YOUR LOCAL ZOO
There’s no better way to feel connected to animals than seeing them in person and with over 20,000 animals and 128 acres of zoological gardens to explore, Chester Zoo is the perfect location! During your next visit, come to our Butterfly House, take photos and make memories that will last a lifetime. While you’re there, why not learn all about Lime Swallowtail butterflies and how habitat loss and pesticide use are threatening their survival.
TAKE ACTION BY:
DONATE AND BUY SECOND-HAND CLOTHES
If we donate clothes we don’t need anymore and buy second-hand clothes, demand for new items will be reduced. This means less cotton will be needed to make clothes and therefore fewer pesticides will harm butterflies.
MAKE YOUR CLOTHES LAST
If we make an effort to make our clothes last, demand for new items will be reduced. This means looking after them and mending them if they start to wear. Why not do your next clothes wash at 30 degrees, or sew an item of clothing that needs repairing.
BE A VOICE FOR CHANGE BY:
Part of conservation is using your voice to create social change around you.
There’s no one way to do this, you could create a poster or artwork, you could create a film or give a talk to friends and family, you could even write to your local MP to make them more aware of a conservation issue you’re passionate about.
Whatever you choose, get creative and do something that suits your way of using your voice for change!
Need some inspiration?
We’ve got some useful resources to help you get on your way to help:
WHAT TO DO TO COMPLETE YOUR AWARD?
Awards are earned for completing one connect, one action, and one voice challenge on your chosen topic.
If you have done all three then you can apply for your award. Get inspired by some of our resources and ideas to achieve a lime swallowtail butterfly award and find the way YOU want to connect, take action and be a voice for change and let us know how you’ve completed these through your application.
1. You can complete this challenge on your own, with friends or as part of a community group.
2. Collect evidence with photos, films or other ways to document your experience and write an account in your award application.