Wings of Hope began as a special program of the International Butterfly Breeders Association (IBBA) in 1999. Wings of Hope, Inc. became an independent charitable organization on May 25, 2006. The work of Wings of Hope, Inc. is supported, in many ways, by the IBBA and its membership.

Mission Statement

Wings of Hope, Inc, as an environmental and community preservation organization, donates butterflies for ceremonial release in tandem with the establishment, and/or restoration of permanent butterfly habitats as a way to begin the healing process as well as bring communities together after tragedy.

Objectives

Wings of Hope, Inc. provides ceremonial butterfly releases and environmental initiatives as a means of comfort, support and inspiration to other groups, (non profit or otherwise), individuals and families who are facing difficult circumstances, have experienced a tragedy or are attempting to bring inspiration through memorial gardens, expanded habitats and those others who are deemed to meet the criteria set by the Board of Directors of Wings of Hope.

We also provide butterflies and ‘green’ incentives for ‘celebrations of the human spirit.’

Our program is also designed to provide the opportunity for children, families, schools and other individuals and groups in crisis to encounter butterflies, to help provide or expand habitat – and to simply allow those Wings of Hope butterflies to bring encouragement to those who need "lifting up" because of difficult and/or unusual life circumstances. We provide a way to bring communities together to begin the healing process after a community tragedy.

We are providing for a social program as well as community initiatives which will benefit those who are in crisis as well as those who inspired to provide for others in crisis and to, in tandem, work for restoration of habitat or initiatives that include such things as memorial gardens. It is a program that ties the butterfly release to the individuals, the groups and to the long term health of the environment.

It is important to note that the ‘farming’ of butterflies leaves no ‘footprint’ on the earth.  Butterflies used in our program are produced on small butterfly farms with hundreds, perhaps thousands of host plants such as milkweed grown for this purpose.  Each plant that is used as food for the growing caterpillar is re-used when re-growth appears for the next generation of caterpillars.  In a proper butterfly garden, the entire life cycle of the butterfly takes place. 

We will work with groups and individuals to initiate planting of butterfly habitat with seeds and long term assistance from members and friends of Wings of Hope, Inc. 

Wings of Hope, Inc. event organizers must agree to plant butterfly habitat in advance of the release or as part of the release. Habitat may include a combination of planting plants and/or trees that butterflies use for food and shelter. Guidelines will be provided to recipients by Wings of Hope, Inc.

This will empower groups and individuals to make a difference in the climate and condition of their environment.  Through our program, we are protecting and restoring butterfly habitats everywhere possible.   Many recipients will  plant a living memorial in the form of a butterfly garden or other habitat to enable butterflies to flourish.   This special initiative of Wings of Hope will help to create butterfly habitats all around the globe.  We consider ourselves a ‘green’ association. Wings of Hope, Inc. partners with groups and individuals that we service to accomplish the following:

• Educate people about the fragile life cycle of the butterfly, beautiful creatures who have suffered a decline in their natural habitats for various reasons including pesticides and city and town development.
  
  
• Encourage individuals and groups we service to act in ways which will benefit butterflies and actively assist individuals, schools and other groups to create backyard, school, and community gardens to provide habitat for many species of butterflies;
  
  
• Promote our butterfly flower and host plant seeds’ program with specific information and personal assistance on how to create a butterfly habitat as a living memorial or to symbolize what is in their hearts and empower those groups to make a difference on their own;
  
  
• Recipients who participate in the Wings of Hope program will release butterflies and are encouraged to plant butterfly habitats.  Butterfly releases benefit our earth and mankind in many ways.  It connects us to the beauty of nature, increases pollination, increases new plant growth, and touches our hearts. 
  
  
• Growing host plants and nectar plants for butterfly habitats and restoration programs helps absorb carbon dioxide, commonly known as greenhouse gas, thereby reducing the pollution in the air, again helping to keep the earth green.
  
  
• Teach about the importance of butterflies as pollinators.  Worker bees are considered to be very efficient pollinators.  However, many people don’t realize that there are many native flowers not pollinated by bees.  Only butterflies with their long proboscis can reach into the flower blossom deep enough to pollinate these species. 
  
  
• These particular plants and butterflies evolved over the eons to depend upon each other.  Unlike bees that are generally restricted to a local area, many butterflies are always on the move and can cross pollinate over a large area improving the genetic mix of genes of the plant community.
  

Impact

Communities that receive the butterflies for ceremonial release agree to plant butterfly habitat. This is symbolic of healing for the mind, body, soul and planet while also symbolizing planting the seeds for a better day and hope for the future. The new habitat is a permanent reminder to honor the fallen, to heal the hearts and spirits of those left behind and to inspire others to contribute to the well-being of butterflies and their longevity in the environment.