Life in the butterfly lane

By Sheree Hoddinett Retirement was supposed to slow Kym Turner down, but instead it sparked a new passion that now has her happily jumping out of bed before dawn most days. 

Nearly four years ago, after finishing work, Kym was searching for something meaningful to do with her time. A visit to the Bribie Island Butterfly House was meant to be the start of a small volunteering role. Instead, she found a purpose she never expected. 

“I just love being here,” Kym said. “I just can’t wait to get out of bed to come here. Seeing new butterflies emerge never gets old.” 

What began as volunteering three days a week quickly became seven, and today Kym is one of Bribie Island Butterfly House's most dedicated volunteers. As second-in-charge and one of the organisation’s main trainers, there are very few jobs she hasn’t tackled. 

On any given day she might be teaching new volunteers, working in the breeding laboratory, greeting visitors, weeding gardens, cleaning equipment, collecting food for caterpillars or helping children meet the resident stick insects. The variety is exactly what keeps every day exciting. 

“Every morning is different and every day there’s something new to discover,” Kym said. “It’s amazing to see it all happen. People often think butterflies just appear, but there’s so much care involved.” 

Much of that care begins long before visitors arrive. 

Kym leaves home in the early hours each morning to collect fresh food for the many hungry caterpillars growing inside the Bribie Island Butterfly House’s breeding laboratory. Depending on the season, volunteers can use up to three large garbage bags of sweet potato leaves every day, along with carefully sourced citrus leaves that must be free from pesticides. Finding enough food is one of the biggest challenges the volunteers face. 

“Sometimes we just can’t get enough food to feed them,” Kym explained. 

Despite the early starts and physical work, she wouldn’t change a thing. 

Volunteering at Bribie Island Butterfly House has also opened her eyes to an extraordinary world she barely knew existed before volunteering. 

“Before I started here, I knew very little about what happened between a butterfly laying its eggs and one taking flight,” Kym said. “Now everyday can bring new life. It’s still exciting every single time.” 

Every morning begins with a visit to the many rows of chrysalises, where Kym eagerly checks which butterflies have emerged overnight. Once their wings have dried, they’re released into the flight enclosure where visitors can admire them up close through the viewing windows. 

Among the many species she helps raise, the monarch butterfly remains her favourite, from its striking caterpillar through to its iconic orange-and-black wings. 

Kym also has a soft spot for one of the unusual residents at the Bribie Island Butterfly House, the striking but friendly stick insects, often carrying them on her shoulders or arms while chatting with families exploring the attraction. 

Children are fascinated by the insects, and Kym enjoys answering their endless questions. When youngsters ask why two stick insects are clinging together, her light-hearted explanation is usually that they’re having “special cuddles”. 

Behind the smiles, however, volunteering can also be a little on the sad side. Not every caterpillar survives the journey to adulthood, and watching butterflies emergewith damaged wings or failing to fly is one of the hardest parts of the role. Yet those moments only reinforce why the volunteers work so hard to give every butterfly the best possible chance. 

Inside the Bribie Island Butterfly House, many butterflies can live for two or even three months, far longer than they typically survive in the wild. For Kym, helping make that possible is incredibly rewarding. 

The venue itself has also flourished in recent years, attracting increasing visitor numbers and selling more butterfly-friendly plants than ever before. 

Kym hopes even more people discover the hidden gem tucked away on Bribie Island. For her, what started as a way to fill time after retirement has become something much greater. It’s become a place where every sunrise brings fresh discoveries, every butterfly tells a story and every day offers another reminder that life’s most rewarding journeys sometimes begin when you least expect them. 

Bribie Island Butterfly House is open Wednesday and Sunday, 9am-3pm. It’s located at 206B First Avenue, Bongaree. For more information about visiting or volunteering at the Bribie Island Butterfly House, visit www.bribieislandbutterflyhouse.org.