Join us in establishing a new project in northern New South Wales to help bring back the endangered Richmond Birdwing Butterfly and its vine.

Richmond Birdwing Butterflies Doing Their Bit for the Future of Their Species

The Richmond Birdwing Butterfly Ornithoptera richmondia is one of the largest and most beautiful native butterflies in Australia. The female has an impressive wingspan of up to 15 centimetres, the male has brilliant green and black wings and bright red splash on its thorax.

They live in subtropical rainforest where their larval host plants grow. But this rainforest habitat has been extensively cleared, with less than 1% remaining. As a result, the butterfly is struggling to survive.

The Richmond Birdwing Butterfly is threatened by climate change, loss of habitat, and a rogue vine that poisons the larvae. In addition, its larval host plant, the Birdwing Vine, has become extinct from two-thirds of its original range, threatening the butterfly further.

In a concerted effort to bring back the Birdwing Butterfly, CSIRO have funded the planting of the Birdwing Vine in Grafton; and the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network and concerned gardeners have been planting the Vine in Queensland.

Wild Birdwing Vine Climbing Up and Around a Ficus

In our local surrounds, Rainforest Rescue has launched a new project to create a local population of the Birdwing Vine to encourage the return of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to this region. To do this, we have partnered with butterfly experts from the Richmond Birdwing Conservation Network. Together we are putting on a Community Workshop on Sunday 13 March at Byron Community College in Mullumbimby.

Butterfly experts will teach you about the fascinating life history of the beautiful Birdwing butterfly; introduce you to the Birdwing Vine and rogue look-alike plants; show you how to grow Birdwing vines for gardens and in revegetation; and teach how to record and map butterfly habitats and sightings. The workshop includes free morning tea and a light lunch, a comprehensive information booklet, and a Birdwing Vine to get you started.

The workshop will be held at the Byron Community College (corner of Gordon and Burringbar Streets, Mullumbimby) on Sunday 13 March, from 9am – 4pm. There is a $10 booking fee. Bookings are essential, please call the college on 02 6684 3374.

The vision of Rainforest Rescue is to establish many hundreds of Birdwing Vines in northern New South Wales to provide a food source for the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly’s larvae and ensure the return of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly to this area.

We hope to see you at the Birdwing Workshop on Sunday 13 March.

Byron Yoga Centre is celebrating its 21st birthday, making it the oldest established yoga school in Byron Bay and one of the oldest in Australia.  The yoga centre has been part of the landscape of Belongil Beach for the last two decades, with many locals enjoying friendly catch-ups at Belongil following classes.

To celebrate, the Byron Yoga Centre is expanding and from February 23rd will be opening a second studio at 6 Byron Street, just above Centrelink.  This studio will serve as the ‘charity arm’ for the yoga centre, offering a varied timetable of $5 and $8 classes.  The proceeds of the classes will be donated to The Buttery, a treatment centre for those seeking recovery from addiction, and Rainforest Rescue, which raises money to buy back rainforests in Australia as well as Indonesia and Ecuador. Read the rest of this entry »