Butterfly Pavilion

A nonprofit organization

$69,932 raised by 192 donors

100% complete

$25,000 Goal

Butterfly Pavilion’s impact reaches from your backyard to around the world, with world-class education, research, and conservation programs that protect our world’s hidden heroes, invertebrates!


Donate now and your impact will be DOUBLED!


If we raise $25,000 by December 5th we will unlock a matching gift of $25,000 from a generous donor.




Invertebrates are animals without backbones, from butterflies and bees, to spiders and sea stars. These tiny giants make up 97% of all animal species on our planet and are vital to maintaining the natural functions of our ecosystems. They are pollinators, decomposers, creators of soil, and the base of our food chain.  

But they are in trouble.  

Global populations of invertebrates are declining at alarming rates. Between 1970 and 2010, it is estimated that invertebrates have declined by 45%.This has drastic implications on our environment and ecosystem. 

The good news? TOGETHER, we can protect these tiny but mighty creatures that we can’t live without. YOU have the power to reverse the trajectory of declining invertebrate populations; both in your backyard and across the globe. 

With your support, Butterfly Pavilion will continue to conduct groundbreaking research on invertebrate species, from firefly research in Colorado to butterfly farming in Sumatra. We will implement conservation projects like building Pollinator Districts(TM) in Colorado and Turks and Caicos. We will host science and nature-based education programs for children in Colorado, while teaching communities in Tanzania about bee fencing.

We open our doors to 400,000 visitors, and 45,000 school-aged children annually, and invite you to join us in protecting our planet’s most vital creatures!

Mission

Butterfly Pavilion exists to foster an appreciation of invertebrates by educating the public about the need to protect and care for threatened habitats globally, while conducting research for solutions in invertebrate conservation.

Background Statement

Since opening our doors in 1995, Butterfly Pavilion has welcomed more than five million visitors. Butterfly Pavilion is the first Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited nonprofit, standalone zoo in the world, and our impact in research, conservation, and education is felt everywhere from our backyards to around the world.

Butterfly Pavilion is a one-of-a-kind experience; truly an unforgettable, interactive, and educational place for all. Our facility includes four indoor exhibit areas; eleven acres of public gardens; two educational classrooms; and event space overlooking Jefferson County Open Space.

Our research and conservation efforts break ground in new and exciting ways; from first-of-its-kind research on the lifecycle of fireflies and our tarantula breeding projects, to projects in Tanzania, Turks and Caicos, and Sumatra. In 2023, we were the first institution to successfully raise fireflies into adulthood under human care, catapulting firefly conservation efforts. In 2023, we also received our first shipment of live butterflies in chrysalis form from the first butterfly farm built in Indonesia by a U.S. zoo! This project fuels conservation management in Sumatra to safeguard the future of the rare wildlife in the region.

Butterfly Pavilion provides educational opportunities to more than 45,000 school-aged children and 400,000 visitors annually. We offer school field trips, distance learning opportunities, after-school enrichment activities, youth day camps, and family workshops ensuring that every child, regardless of income or ability, can experience the wonder of invertebrates and our natural environment. We also offer many workshops and events for adults and older adults!

Our community science projects invite volunteers and community members to be scientists alongside us, restoring urban and rural prairies and tracking butterflies, fireflies, and ladybugs as part of our ongoing population data tracking projects.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Butterfly Pavilion

other names

Rocky Mountain Butterfly Consortium

Year Established

1990

Tax id (EIN)

84-1155029

Category

Environment, Education, Animal-Related, Youth Development, Science & Technology, Arts, Culture & Humanities

Organization Size

Large Organization

Address

6252 W. 104th Ave.
Westminster, CO 80020

Service areas

Broomfield County, CO, US

Jefferson County, CO, US

Adams County, CO, US

CO, US

Denver, CO, US

Phone

303-469-5441

Other

720-758-7285

Social Media