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September is being observed as Butterfly Month at the Tropical Butterfly Conservatory in Srirangam, with a series of awareness and educational programmes being conducted for school students.
The programmes are being organised under the guidance of Conservator of Forests Dr R Kanchana, IFS and the instructions of Tiruchirappalli District Forest Officer S Krithika, IFS., to create awareness about butterflies, their habitats, ecological importance and biodiversity conservation. The conservatory, spread across about 25 acres between the Cauvery and Kollidam rivers, is home to a wide variety of plants and butterfly species. The park is recognised as a major butterfly conservation and education centre in Tiruchirappalli. As part of the Butterfly Month celebrations, more than 100 students of Vignesh Sri Renga Matriculation Higher Secondary School participated in a special awareness programme organised by the Forest Department. The students took part in a Butterfly Walk, awareness lecture, quiz, drawing competition and handicraft-making using waste materials. During the Butterfly Walk, students were introduced to butterfly species including Plain Tiger, Striped Tiger, Blue Tiger, Crimson Rose, Common Rose, Common Mormon and Common Emigrant. They were also taught how to identify butterflies based on their colours, wing patterns and distinctive markings. Students learnt about the four stages of the butterfly life cycle egg, larva, pupa and adult butterfly along with the importance of host plants and nectar plants. Calotropis, Lemon and Curry Leaf were introduced as host plants, while Lantana, Hibiscus and Pentas were among the nectar plants explained to the students. Keerthi, Founder of Kuyili NGO, delivered an awareness lecture covering the butterfly life cycle, pollination, ecological indicators, food chains and the importance of butterfly conservation. Drawing, handicraft and quiz competitions were also conducted on the themes My Garden and Butterflies, Designing Butterflies Using Waste Materials and Biodiversity. Prizes and appreciation certificates were distributed to the winners. The programme concluded with the release of butterflies reared at the Butterfly Breeding Laboratory into the natural surroundings of the conservatory. Plain Tiger, Common Mormon, Common Emigrant, Blue Tiger and Striped Tiger were among the butterflies released. The Forest Department has planned to conduct similar awareness programmes every week throughout September, targeting more school students, teachers and members of the public to highlight the importance of protecting butterflies, their habitats, host plants and nectar plants. The broader Big Butterfly Month 2026 initiative is also being conducted across Tamil Nadu during September. (ANI)
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