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Long before the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 brought about major infrastructural changes to the city, one persistent pleasure to behold was a specific subspecies of pipevine swallowtail. This large butterfly, its blue and black shimmering wings decorated with a cascade of orange dots, once flitted its way over the same hilly streets as today’s cable cars.

But as development of the city flourished in the 20th century, the butterfly got pushed out. Today, the California pipevine swallowtail, or Battus philenor hirsuta, is a rare sight indeed.

Though there are a number of reasons why, one major problem is their diet. After all, the San Francisco endemic butterflies only feed on one species of pipevine, also called Dutchman’s Pipe, which is a kind of creeping vine like ivy. Because these are their only host plants, shrinking green areas are a serious threat.

But that’s not the only problem they face. In addition to their dietary restrictions, these lovely critters have a long metamorphosis stage where they are most vulnerable. Of course, butterflies begin as caterpillars, which cocoon themselves in a chrysalis before becoming adults. For the California pipevine swallowtail, though, that chrysalis stage can take from several weeks to a few months.

Unfortunately, attempts to reintroduce the butterfly in the past haven’t succeeded. For example, back in the late 1980s, butterfly enthusiast Barbara Deutsch released 500 caterpillars into San Francisco. But she might as well have been blowing in the wind for all the difference it made.

But today there is a new conservationist on the scene: Tim Wong, 28, who curiously doesn’t even work with butterflies or insects. In fact, he’s an aquatic biologist at the California Academy of Sciences, where he cares for 38,000 marine animals.

But like so many of us, he has always had a soft heart for butterflies. More so than most, however, as even since he was a kid Wong would collect caterpillars and successfully watch them change into butterflies under his care.

“I first was inspired to raise butterflies when I was in elementary school,” Wong told Vox. Even outside of class, he would study them in the fields near his house. “We raised painted lady butterflies in the classroom, and I was amazed at the complete metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult.”

It was only when he got older that he realized the beautiful California pipevine swallowtail was in serious trouble. Then he decided that it was up to him to bring the butterfly back from the brink – because if not him, who?

Of course, the first thing he needed were the elements of a butterfly sanctuary: caterpillars and food. Unfortunately, the plant that these butterflies feed on was rare itself, and Wong said the trouble he went through to obtain it would “not [be] for everyone.”

“Finally, I was able to find this plant in the San Francisco Botanical Garden and they allowed me to take a few clippings of the plant,” he said. Naturally, the next thing was to find some pioneering caterpillars for his greenhouse.

Thankfully, he managed to get some by going outside of the city, as well as asking around and getting permission to go exploring on people’s land. Now these caterpillars just needed a home.

So, in his own backyard Wong built a “Butterfly Paradise.” It was similar to a greenhouse, but one that doesn’t separate the butterflies from their natural climate. He said, “I built a large screen to allow them to mate under outdoor environmental conditions – natural sun, airflow, temp fluctuations.”


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