The Biggest Butterfly Release in Bali: Nuanu Creative City is Releasing 5,000 Butterflies to Its Healthy Ecosystem

Nuanu Creative City marks a milestone in its ecological journey with the release of 5,000 butterflies from 11 native Balinese species across its developing sustainable landscapes. More than a symbolic event, this release reflects the environment’s team in Nuanu to bring back its habitat.

Over time, Nuanu has been actively supporting butterfly life cycles by periodically releasing them throughout the area. To date, 11.000 of butterflies have been set free, making today’s event the largest butterfly release in Nuanu’s history.

“Butterflies are not just beautiful; they are vital indicators of ecosystem health,” said Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City. “For us, butterflies shouldn’t exist only in books or be framed behind glass—they should fly freely for visitors, residents, and even our employees to encounter. Our commitment goes beyond butterflies: our team, including insect specialists, is working to bring back fireflies, dragonflies, plankton, and all the small heroes that make our nature—our Bali—even more beautiful.”

Butterflies are both indicators of a healthy ecosystem and essential natural pollinators. Although delicate and living only 5 to 14 days as adults, their presence has a critical ecological impact: they sustain thousands of flowering plants, reinforce food chains, and signal a well-balanced, resilient habitat. Their activity confirms that Nuanu provides a viable environment for diverse forms of life.

“Our core mission at Nuanu’s environmental team is to restore habitats for these small heroes and create a self-regenerating ecosystem within Nuanu,” said Agastya Yatra, Head of Environment at Nuanu Creative City. “Releasing 5,000 butterflies is not merely symbolic; it emphasises our readiness as a creative city to host them. In the coming years, we expect butterflies to repopulate with minimal human intervention, thriving and spreading their wings naturally across Nuanu.”

All butterflies released today are native to Bali, including Danaus chrysippus (Plain Tiger), Cethosia hypsea (Malayan Lacewing), and Papilio peranthus (Swift Peacock Swallowtail). Among them, Papilio peranthus has become Nuanu’s iconic species—a coastal butterfly long established in the area.

Nuanu is restoring native habitats and giving the public a rare chance to experience nature up close as thousands of butterflies take flight across its park. Carefully cultivated host plants and flowering species provide natural food sources, making this release more than symbolic: it enables butterflies to reproduce and reintegrate into a healthy ecological cycle.

Nuanu will continue expanding its environmental education programs, establishing the city as a living classroom that connects people with nature and champions a self-regenerative ecosystem.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City