Is this the Iquitos equivalent of The Environmental Center?

The butterfly is an amazing creature.

After starting its life as an almost indiscernible egg on a leaf, it becomes a larger-but-still-minute larva. Then it grows into a much-larger caterpillar before rolling itself in a cocoon for at least one month and emerging as a colorful, airborne butterfly.

I know this is something that we all learned in elementary school, but it still amazes me 20 years later.

Avery and I saw this cycle play out at the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Center outside of Iquitos. Located in the community of Padre Cocha, the Butterfly Center has spent the last ten or so years propagating native butterfly species and educating the community on their benefits.

The tour showcases the life cycle of the butterfly and explains the work the center does. He pointed out the eggs, which are so small that it proved difficult for a guide with 10 years experience in the butterfly center to find them. He showed us some larvae that were nibbling on leaves. Each species has a preferred species of leaf and they have to make sure they have enough of each plant to support the larvae and caterpillars.

We spent the duration of our time marveling on the different colors and designs on the butterflies.

In addition to a controlled forest that is covered in mesh so that predator species cannot enter, they also have a "laboratory" where they take care of the larvae and caterpillars in even more controlled environments.

Apparently, there is a rumor in Peru that caterpillars are poisonous. I had never heard this before, but the tour guide said that one of the points he stresses with school groups is the fact that caterpillars are not harmful to human beings. There is one species they have that will sting you if you touch it in a threatening manner, but the sting is not poisonous and cannot kill you.

In addition to butterflies, they have a rehab center for jungle animals. They currently have a jaguar, a capibara, an ocelot; several monkeys, a variety of birds, and some Gringo volunteers.

Logistics:

To get to Pilpintuwasi Butterfuly Center from Iquitos, take a bus that says "Nanay" on the front and take it until the end of the line.

From there, you can either take a collectivo boat to Padre Cocha, which will cost 3 soles per person, but will not leave until there are 10 people on the boat, or pay 10 soles for someone to take you Padre Cocha without waiting for 10 people to show up.

Once you get off the boat in Padre Cocha, you walk 15 minutes through the town to get to the center.