Conservation Plans
◆ Maolin National Scenic Area
The purple crow butterflies migrate throughout their lives with the seasonal and temperature changes. Every year, the purple crow butterflies that overwinter form the " Purple Butterfly Valley" in the mountainous area of Taiwan. However, global warming and human development have reduced the habitat of the purple crow butterflies, and their numbers have continued to decrease. People in Taiwan are trying to protect these butterflies. One of the advocates of butterfly conservation is Chan Chia-lung, a longtime butterfly researcher and director of documentaries, who loves butterflies. He discovered that the number of butterflies in the Purple Butterfly Valley continues to decrease. He also realized the danger that the purple crows are facing. He used his entire budget to make a documentary aimed at persuading all Taiwanese people to protect purple crow butterflies.
The Mexican Monarch Butterflies and the Taiwanese Purple Crow Butterflies are the two most ecologically distinctive species in the Maolin National Scenic Area. Currently, there are about 7-10 overwintering butterfly valleys in the Maolin area. The Maolin National Scenic Area aims at protecting these butterflies and researchers can thus further understand these butterflies’ biological characteristics, quantity, and correlation with the climate of the butterfly flocks in the Maolin area. This knowledge can help conserve the butterflies and protect the natural resources together with the residents.
With the assistance of the Taiwan Purple Crow Butterfly Ecological Preservation Association, the residents sought to designate a protected area. This became the first case in Taiwan where residents took the initiative to apply for the designation of a protected area. They are a group of butterfly lovers who have been working tirelessly to promote the ecological conservation of the purple butterflies. They also cultivate a variety of native species to plant in the damaged habitats of the purple butterfly valley to aid in habitat restoration.