Steve Collins has enough butterflies to fill two Boeing 747s. His is likely the largest collection in the world.
He began collecting butterflies on his family’s coffee farm when he was five years old.
“My parents encouraged us to look for butterflies after visiting the Congo and were gifted a trapping net by some friends,” Collins says. At 15, he first identified a previously unknown species.
Collins has been an agronomist (crop scientist) for 20 years. But his passion is lepidopterology—the study of moths and butterflies. He established the African Butterfly Research Institute in 1997 in Nairobi, Kenya. Along with his own findings, he has acquired dozens of collections from other lepidopterists. At 74, Collins has 4.2 million butterfly specimens.
On his 1.5 acres of land, hundreds of indigenous trees and flowering bushes form a well-knit forest. Butterflies dance from one flower to another. Some light on Collins’ hand. About 200 different species live on the property.
Collins has 1.2 million butterflies delicately pinned in frames and stored in 9,000 display boxes. He keeps another three million in envelopes. The collection was once open to the public for educational purposes. It’s now private.
“They need to be kept in dark spaces,” he says. “The form of storage also ensures the dried butterflies are not eaten by other insects, parasites, and predators. . . . We apply insecticides once a year to keep them safe.”
Julian Bayliss is a scientist and visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University. He has collected butterflies for Collins over two decades.
“There is a large part of that collection that is completely irreplaceable because a large part of Africa’s habitat is being destroyed,” Bayliss says.
Africa’s weather is often unpredictable. Prolonged drought and serious flooding can destroy butterfly habitats.
Bayliss suggests making a digital version of the collection. That way, people from around the world could easily access it.
But sharing the collection is only one of Collins’ concerns. It costs about $200,000 per year to operate the institute.
He’s running out of space—and time. Collins hopes to sell what he’s gathered. His most prized butterfly is worth about $8,000. Collins estimates that the specimens and other assets combined are valued at about $8 million. He has had offers from people who would like to buy part of the collection, but he’s reluctant to divvy up the vast trove.
“This has been my hobby for decades, and I can’t put a price on what I have done so far. I’m currently seeking to ensure the species are in safe hands when I’m out of this world,” he says.
Why? We can admire Collins’ passion and learn from his humility, since he knows his life won’t last forever. “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
