The National Butterfly Center is closed because of threats from conspiracy theorists, robbing children in an underserved area of a chance to learn. | Perspective
In the United States, the best place to see butterflies is also one of the places where President Donald Trump tried to build his border wall: the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. This part of Texas is also one of the most economically disadvantaged places in the country.
As we work to reopen, I want to urge people to visit the National Butterfly Center to support our work to conserve butterflies. I also want them to understand that, however ludicrous the claim, misinformation and political conspiracy theories can seriously threaten conservation and education. We never intended to get caught up in politics, but political machinations forced our hands. The butterfly center is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. In 2017, the U.S. government started to build a wall through the center’s land, without first purchasing it or going through the legal proceedings required for eminent domain. So, NABA, not wanting the center to be cut in half, sued the U.S. government to halt construction. We were threatened even then by groups supporting the wall.
For as long as we can, NABA will continue paying all butterfly center employees during the shutdown. But in the meantime, increasing numbers of visitors and schoolchildren will be denied an important educational experience at a nature preserve that has been described by the New York Times as “a place of wonder along the banks of the Rio Grande, attracting curious visitors and nature enthusiasts from around the country.
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