Norm Twigge has a delightful way of describing butterflies. “In a lot of cultures, they’re considered spiritual beings. So every time you see one, remember that there’s good karma floating around.”

The 85-year-old leads the team of volunteers at Te Puna Quarry Park’s butterfly garden.

“Butterflies are pollinators and with bees under threat, they’re important,” explains Norm. “Any eggs, caterpillars or chrysalis that we find outside in the garden, we bring them inside the butterfly house to protect them from praying mantises and paper wasps.”

Red admiral

Norm is particularly proud of the success his team is having with the red admiral butterfly, which is endemic to New Zealand.

“It doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world,” says Norm. “They’re losing ground because the only food the caterpillars eat is stinging nettle – so one of the reasons they are in decline is that we tend to get rid of their food source.

“There are native nettles in bush areas, but if people planted a small patch of nettles, it would certainly help the butterflies.”

Norm describes entomology as not just a hobby, but a lifelong passion. “My love for insects started when I was 11. When I was a teenager, my focus turned more towards butterflies.”

Butterflying

Norm worked as a building contractor in Palmerston North. “Every so often, when work was quiet, I’d sneak off and go butterflying,” he laughs.

Around the age of 70, Norm and his wife moved to Whakatāne to retire. “I decided I was too young to hang up the hammer, though, so I carried on working again.”

In a lot of cultures, butterflies are considered spiritual beings. Photo: Brydie Thompson.

The couple settled in Welcome Bay about seven years ago. Te Puna Quarry Park Association president Shona Purves feels fortunate to have a resident lepidopterist. This is a person who a person who studies or collects butterflies and moths.

“Norm’s willing to share his knowledge of the insect world with every age group who visits the garden,” says Shona. “He recorded more than 1500 people through the Butterfly House between February and December last year.”

“We get people from all over the world,” says Norm. “I was also leader of a scout pack for 10 years so I love teaching kids. Sometimes we let children help release the butterflies and I tell them to make a wish. It’s a nice experience for the kids.”

Magical place

Norm is often out hunting butterflies, researching or breeding butterflies at his own home, but he loves working at Te Puna Quarry Park. “I feel calm, here. It’s absolutely a magical place where you can be at one with nature.”

Norm Twigge has developed a passion for butterflies since he was a teenager. Photo: Brydie Thompson.