Can you feel the heat these days? We did, so we set out last weekend to join the Summerfest Music & Fun Carnival 2013 at Hard Rock Hotel Penang to chill out and bring you, family fun and excitement.

It was a 2-day, music filled event held and organised by the Hard Rock Hotel Penang on 22 & 23 June 2013 from 1:00pm till 11:00pm. And what was so cool about it is that all proceeds went to charity. Penang Butterfly Farm was invited to be part of the event to make the event much more awesome!

If you were there, you would probably have seen and touched our wiggly friends. Hey, don’t get so grossed out! Here is just one of the many brave souls who tried out our “Bowl-O-Worms” challenge that weekend..

Our “Bowl-O-Worms” challenge is a first for us and for sure, it was a first for those who participated as well. The bowl was filled with mealworms, the larvae stage of the mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitor), and no, they are not actually worms! The challenge was to look for the golden 50 sen coin that one of our staff had naughtily hidden within the mealworms. Once the challenger found it, they received a mystery gift.

Here’s a fun fact for you: Mealworms are cute and tasty…yes, I said tasty because they are actually edible. Whip up some eggs, sugar, flour, sprinkle some mealworms and put it in the oven for a few exciting minutes and tadah!  You’ve got yourself a crunchy cookie! Dare to try?

Not only that, we also have conducted other fun stuff like, “Mealworm Foot Massage” for those brave enough to let the larvae nibble on their feet for 30 seconds. Our famous Bug-A-Boo was also there to test the visual abilities of those who dare play hide and seek with our well camouflaged Katydids.

Our challenges were as easy as 1,2,3 for some while for others, their courage was just no where to be found. So better luck next time!

Those who weren’t fans of the creepy crawlies that we laid out also had wonderful time with our “Make your Own Origami Butterfly” session…

It was just a few easy steps and they created colourful butterflies that they brought home with them as a memory of that Summerfest they had with Penang Butterfly Farm and Hard Rock Hotel.

We really have loads of fun there accompanied with performances by The Chubs, High Society, Allan G, Ray Cheong and many more.

Oh, Tacca and Toro made new friends there too!

23 June 2011 was a fun-filled merrymaking day for PBF as we remember and celebrate our 25th year. 25 years in a long, beautiful journey to celebrate.

It was a day of cakes, VIP’s, mascots, smiles and of course, butterflies!

Highlights of the event:

• It was an honour to celebrate our 25th year with Penang’s Chief Minister, Mr Lim Guan Eng and the rest of invited guests.

  

The Chief Minister had a private tour around the newly renovated farm.

• 8 PBF’s Long-serving employees did a 2.5km cycling before the Chief Minister handed them the Employee’s Long Service Awards.

  

All these wonderful people has been serving PBF since at least 20 years ago!

• In 1996, Mr David Goh, our founder planted a Time Capsule that was to be extracted and revealed at the 25th anniversary. Yesterday, after being buried for 15 years, everyone present witnessed the extraction and revelation of the Time Capsule.

  

The capsule was dug out by the same two people who buried it: Mr Ishak & Mr Jafri.

The Time Capsule contains a pledge written by Mr David Goh on the farm’s 10th anniversary, stating to donate at least RM0.25 per entry ticket to charity for the whole 12 months of the 25th anniversary. It was such a significant moment!

• All the invited guests and farm visitors had their chance to release a butterfly as they explore and experience the newly transformed Penang Butterfly Farm.

• Orni, Juro, Tacca, Toro and Dagon made their appearance to cheer up the event with smiles, laughter and pretty pictures for the visitor’s album.

We would like to thank everyone involved that had made this event a success! We really really appreciate your time & effort!

Last but not least, Congratulations & Thank you to our dear Mr David Goh. Without your passion and efforts to make your dreams a reality, we would not have this beautiful day.

25 years and still counting!

SPRING FESTIVAL ON THE MOVE!

Penang Butterfly Farm is in an early festive mode this year and is wishing everyone a happy festive holiday season filled with happiness and abundance!

View the animated CNY greeting here >>

To share Mother Nature’s joy and happiness with you, Penang Butterfly Farm’s mascots is on a festive giveaway-spree throughout Penang this Sunday, 30th January 2011, giving out mystery Ang Pows, freebies and goodies worth more than RM4000 to everyone!

Penang Butterfly Farm mascots, who are Nature Ambassadors will be travelling on Penang Butterfly Farm’s Concept Bus and Rapid Penang Mobile Bus and making stopovers at various public spots in Penang to hand out their goodies.

To receive their special Ang Pows and Gong Xi Fa Cai goodies, you can meet them at the entrance of:

1. Penang Botanic Gardens, Jalan Kebun Bunga (from 9:30am – 10:15am)
2. Gurney Plaza, Gurney Drive (from 10:45am – 11:30am)
3. TESCO Penang, beside e-Gate (from 1:30pm – 2:15pm) – together with ERA FM’s Cruiser, which means more goodies!
4. Sunway Carnival Mall, Seberang Jaya (from 3:30pm – 4:15pm)

Don’t miss this rare photo opportunity with Penang Butterfly Farm’s new mascots and receive their special mystery Ang Pows!

Did you go to ʻExploring Nature with ORNI & Friendsʼ ?

This event was held over two full days from 4th to 5th December 2010 at the Penang Butterfly Farmʼs open car park in Teluk Bahang and it was open to public with free admission.

Our beloved Penang Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng, Penang State EXCO for Tourism Development & Culture YB Danny Law and Managing Director of Penang Global Tourism Sdn Bhd, Miss Ooi was here to officiate our 5 mascots as well as launching of the ecological event entitled as “Bring Back The Endangered Yellow Birdwings” as a community project in Penang.

This event was most meaningful to the locals whom we have provided with countless nature education programmes and also in appreciation of their endless support during the past 24 years. The public including the tourists, families, children, teachers, students from all schools, kindergartens had came to participate in these series of activities.

Here are some photos of what happened those 2 days!

Children enjoy finding and counting the phasmids at our Bug-A-Boo challenge!

Prize Giving to Winners of the 2nd Butterfly & Insect Photographic Competition

YAB Lim Guan Eng releasing butterflies at the Penang Butterfly Farm.

Get Crafty! Art & Craft Session at Penang Butterfly Farm

The "Hold Back Your Fear!" session lets children and the public get close to some reptiles and lizards.

Everyone gets to be photogenic during the special mascot appearance session.

Orni & Friends Are Nature Ambassadors

Through this meaningful event, our mascots play their role as “nature ambassadors” to raise public awareness of our environment and advocate nature-loving in improving our living conditions. These mascots will endeavour to inspire the public, and especially the children to learn and pick-up nature-loving values. In conjunction with Penang Stateʼs objective in creating a greener cleaner Penang city, Penang Butterfly Farm’s mascots will unendingly help the state and the nation to play the role of saving our earth from further deterioration. In the near future, these mascots will make their special appearances during our nature education workshops, public events as well as during our conservation activities.

People just kept pouring in during the whole day at our event! Can you spot Dagon the Water Dragon?

On one morning, some kids were yawning away so we showed them how to dance like a professional. Watch the Cat dance!

Plenty of food for those 2 days!

Bring Back The Endangered Yellow Birdwings

In the past few years, Penang Butterfly Farm has been sending out nature-conservation messages through its nature educational programmes, events, conferences, workshops and exhibitions. This year, Penang Butterfly Farm, being committed to promote awareness of the environment and butterflies in Penang, is embarking on a butterfly conservation and nature awareness project called “Bring Back The Endangered Yellow Birdwings” by planting back its host plant in the viable localities within Penang state, through the collaboration with some local schools which have accepted Penang Butterfly Farmʼs offer to sponsor them mini butterfly gardens. These pilot schools include Penang Free School, SRJK (C) Hun Bin Primary School, and Dalat International School.

Construction of the butterfly aviary at SJK(C) Hun Bin, a primary school in Penang.

Landscaping of the mini butterfly aviary and garden at SJK(C) Hun Bin.

SJK(C) Hun Bin now has a butterfly aviary in order to conserve our Yellow Birdwings!

Bring Back The Endangered Yellow Birdwings! - We also sponsored Dalat International School the same butterfly aviary.