Along with incredible technological advancements and improvements in quality of life, our time is also characterized by the rapid loss of our natural landscapes and the species that call it home.

Some of our Earth’s smallest residents – invertebrates – often go unnoticed. They’re under a log you pass by on a hike, in the garden bed in your backyard, or flying in the air far above your head.

But despite their invisibility to many, none of us would want to live in a world in which they did not exist. They are the foundation of the processes that keep our world functioning, from pollination, to decomposition, to pest control. Their very existence guarantees ours.

"How do we light a spark in the minds of humans to not only see the incredible contributions invertebrates make to our world?"

So the problem that we face is this: how do we light a spark in the minds of humans to not only see the incredible contributions invertebrates make to our world, but also incite action to save them?

Butterfly Pavilion is where it starts.

Take a family on a journey through a rainforest or a desert landscape with live animals that they could only otherwise experience if they were on the other side of the globe. Let them stand side-by-side with a real scientist caring for a living creature. Let them dig their hands in the dirt with an educator that can make critical connections between their way of life and the world around them.

That is the big idea behind Butterfly Pavilion’s newest venture: a global hub for invertebrate research, conservation and education. This state-of-the-art facility will engage, inspire, and provide the tools we humans need to come together to save invertebrates and, therefore, save our world.