Fifty different varieties of butterflies have arrived naturally in Butterfly Lake Park in Kilil out of a total of 62 butterfly species that exist in the area. The last variety that arrived in the park was Chilades pandava, seen in November.
The favorable conditions established in the park for the benefit of the area's butterflies have made the park extremely attractive for the butterflies and, as far as is known, there is no other place in the world where there is such a large variety of butterflies relative to the small area in terms of natural areas of the park.
The park in Klil is the first natural ecological park of its kind in the world. It was established on an area of about 15 dunams next to the Klil factory in Karmiel. The establishment was done through a nature restoration method as a protected reserve for butterflies. About NIS 3 million were invested in its establishment. Last year, the park won a contribution to the community award.
The park was built as an open park whose purpose is to attract butterflies. The process included mapping the butterfly species in the area, a topographical change; building a hill, paths, streams, a permanent lake and a seasonal lake, and planting vegetation for the benefit of the butterfly population. The construction of the park was completed in March 2021 and since then the number of butterflies has been increasing year by year.
The butterfly park is an open complex and not a closed greenhouse to allow the butterflies in the area to stay and breed in the park. The park includes natural biotopes that include about 180 types of shrubs and perennial and annual plants, fields of wildflowers and spice plants, adapted to the needs of the butterflies in the area.
Butterflies are disappearing from our world due to man-made environmental distress - resulting from air and water pollution and, use of pesticides in agriculture and at home that also kill the butterflies. The butterfly park will serve as a refuge for the butterfly species where they will be able to live and breed and somewhat balance the process of their disappearance from the environment of our lives.
The park was established at the initiative of the Klil company (its logo is a butterfly) in cooperation with the municipality of Karmiel, and Dobi Binyamini, a world expert on butterflies. During the planning process of the park, a living and growing survey was made in the area designated for the park with the intention of restoring the local nature. The survey was done according to international standards and scientifically proved the effectiveness of the park in increasing the population of butterflies in the area, with instructions on which plants to plant as surrogate plants for the various butterflies and which for nectar.
Tzuri Daboosh, chairman of Klil: "Because the butterfly symbol is emblazoned on the company's logo, we decided to establish the butterfly park as a fulfillment of a vision out of a commitment not only to preserve nature but also to give back to nature."
This article was written in cooperation with Kilil