Moth and Butterfly trust struggles to fund DNA research

The trust which protects New Zealand's butterflies, moths and their habitats is struggling to support their important scientific research after a disappointing start to its fundraiser.

Only $40 from three people online has been raised by charity Moths & Butterflies Trust of NZ which hopes to raise $15,000 in 16 days to formally identify more of New Zealand’s butterfly species through DNA and other methods.

“Some native butterflies are already teetering on the edge of survival," warns Jacqui Knight, founding trustee & secretary of the trust

The recent cost of living crisis has stifled some supporters' ability to help, says Miranda Covington, an environmentalist who’s been raising monarch butterflies in their garden for three years.

“Everything’s just too expensive right now, even time and energy is becoming harder to spend.”

Project leader of the trust’s fundraiser, Angela Moon-Jones says “Sadly, successive governments have invested too little in research and taxonomy (naming a species) [...] we are far behind most other countries of the world.

“Over 90% of New Zealand’s butterflies and moths are unique to New Zealand - if they die out, they can never be reintroduced".

Wellington-based environmentalist Jaime Swale  laments the possibility of New Zealand’s butterfly species going extinct due to a lack of financial support in a financially troubling time across the country.

“My grandmother had loads of swan plants with caterpillars and monarch butterflies around, so every monarch butterfly I see reminds me of her. It'd be horrible for that reminder to someday disappear.”

The trust’s fundraiser hopes to achieve better conservation of the country’s native butterflies and moths through better study and understanding of each species.

All scientific and DNA research will be carried out by a PhD student aided by a team of scientists and volunteers.

Donations can also be made directly through the trust’s website, and the fundraiser closes on May 12.