NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A childhood hobby that began over six decades ago has blossomed into what may be Africa’s largest butterfly collection located in a suburb of Kenya’s capital. Steve Collins, 74, a native of western Kenya, developed a fascination with butterflies at the age of 5, leading to a collection exceeding 4.2 million specimens representing numerous species. “My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends,” Collins shared. “By the time I was 15 years old, I was already visiting other countries like Nigeria to study more about butterflies.”
In his 20-year tenure as an agronomist, Collins devoted his spare time to research, culminating in the founding of the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997. Now facing constraints in both space and time, he aims to pass on his life’s work to future generations. Sprawled across his 1.5-acre (0.6 hectare) property are hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes, creating a habitat where butterflies flutter from bloom to bloom, occasionally alighting on Collins’ outstretched hand.
Although his collection remains private, it was briefly open to the public during its operation as an educational center from 1998 to 2003. Collins meticulously preserves 1.2 million butterflies from various African regions in framed displays, while another 3 million are stored in envelopes. “They need to be kept in dark spaces,” he emphasized. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites, and predators. We also ensure we apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.”
Julian Bayliss, an ecologist specializing in Africa and a visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, extolled Collins’ collection, underlining its irreplaceable value due to the swift depletion of Africa’s natural habitats. With climate change posing a significant threat to the continent, Bayliss advocated for digitizing the collection for global accessibility. He stressed the importance of entrusting the collection to a well-established, well-funded, and secure institution for its continued preservation.
Reflecting on his journey, Collins expressed concerns about the sustainability of his research endeavors. His most prized butterfly, valued at $8,000, remains shielded from public view to deter potential theft. Exploring options to sell the collection to an individual or research institution, Collins acknowledged the substantial costs associated with operating his institute. An annual budget of $200,000 was reported on the Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa website in 2009, with Collins estimating the collection’s overall worth at $8 million.
“This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far,” Collins remarked. “I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world.”
