Release of Red Admiral Butterflies

As part of the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust's campaign to return our endemic red admiral butterfly re-established in Auckland, we will be releasing the first red admirals into the park, and with the consistent planting of more of their host plant (Urtica ferox) and other stinging nettles we hope that this butterfly will build up in numbers in the spring and summer of 2024-5.

NZ's red admiral is ONLY found in NZ. It is dependent on stinging nettle to survive. Not everybody likes stinging nettle, obviously, so this will include ongoing education!

In some parts of NZ stinging nettle is very much part of the landscape - and the red admiral thrives. The plant, which is a native, is accepted as being part of that area's biodiversity.