We officially launched the Butterfly project in Paris on 3-4 April 2025 at Norway House on the campus of the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Together with our entire team, we began to shape our shared vision for restoring pollinators and the services they provide.
On April 3–4, 2025, we came together at Norway House in Paris to officially launch the Butterfly project. We began shaping our shared mission: building a future with pollinators. Over two inspiring days, we explored the project’s key themes: the need for integrated ecological and economic approaches, the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the value of working closely with farmers, citizens, and policymakers.
Our interconnected work packages span everything from ecological modelling to public engagement, with Living Labs at the heart of the project. These real-world testing grounds will allow us to develop and trial strategies tailored to local needs and landscapes.
To round off the meeting, on April 5, we visited the Jardin Écologique in Île-de-France, one of our French Living Labs. This inspiring urban site perfectly illustrates our vision: connecting science, nature, and people in meaningful, hands-on ways.
With the project now in full swing, we’re excited to begin this four-year journey—working together to develop innovative, practical, and inclusive solutions for pollinator resilience across Europe and beyond.
You’ve got to check out Jeff’s blog for the highlights of the meeting: Project ‘Butterfly’ takes flight in Paris! | Prof. Jeff Ollerton – ecological scientist and author
all photographs: Leonidas S. Kyrgiakos
The speakers who presented at the Butterfly kick-off meeting are featured in this video
And here is a very special guest, a mason bee, who joined us for the meeting (thank you Claus Rasmussen for the shot!):
