The Evolution of New Ferry Butterfly Park’s Promotional Leaflet

Peter Martin and Freya Levy with the 2024 Butterfly Park promotional leaflet

The Butterfly Park’s first promotional leaflet was derived from a visitors’ guide and was created in 1998 by Year 8 students from Bebington High. It was a black and white leaflet with a good park map, but with few illustrations and the location map was a photocopy from an A to Z. Interestingly the leaflet described the park’s entrance road, Howell Rd, as lying between the railway line and the Queen’s Public House. This pub was soon demolished after Aldi’s arrival in 2002.

The front of the first promotional leaflet in 1998.

The map inside the 1998 leaflet.

In 2006, this leaflet was revamped by Steve Niblock, then local councillor for the Ward. The 2006 leaflet had specially made black and white illustrations produced by artists Emma Greenwood and Bob Hughes, used to illustrate the park map, and the location map developed into a sketch map.

The 2006 version of the Butterfly Park's leaflet

Black and white illustrations on the map in 2006

In 2012, as part of the Comma Project the promotional leaflet was revamped by Carol Ramsay, Artist in Residence at the park. At this stage, the leaflet went into colour production and the park map was replaced by Vicky Hose’s brilliant artistic map of the park. On the front the Comma butterfly replaced Speckled Wood, to fit in with the COMMunity Art (COMMA) project running at that time. The leaflet also mentioned the caravan-based visitor centre, which although fantastic, sadly did not last due to vandalism.

The first leaflet in colour in 2012

The park map, with illustrations in full colour

In 2018 the promotional leaflet was improved by John Ash with the addition of a colour location map.

An update to the location map on the back of the leaflet in 2018

This year the promotional leaflet has been enhanced again. The leaflet’s front now has an illustration of the Park’s Silver Jubilee Gates, complete with the new decorative tiles inset into the supporting brick pillars. The leaflet has an email contact address, QR codes, a link to the Park’s Facebook page and another to the Wirral Wildlife website, both full of useful information about the Park and ongoing activities. These extra resources give extra life and vitality to the leaflet. Two art works within Vicky Hose’s original 2006 illustrated map have been changed, to feature creatures that visitors are more likely to encounter. One of these was first recorded breeding at the Park and Wirral in 2014. Freya Levy, an artist new to the park, has blended these images into the leaflet following Vicky’s style. Can you see the different styles or work out which two invertebrates have been removed and which two added?

The latest version of the Butterfly Park leaflet

See if you can spot the difference as two species on the 2024 map have been changed

The 2024 leaflet has been an in-house collaborative effort via numerous emails and two in person meetings, patiently co-ordinated by Peter Martin. The meetings discussed ideas with the leaflet projected onto a screen for all to see clearly, allowing Peter to try out some changes there and then with instant feedback. The leaflet got up to version 22! Hopefully, the leaflet can be enjoyed by many, and more visitors will be attracted to the park resulting in some more volunteers. Thanks to Freya for her artistic talents, Peter Martin for his digital proficiencies in making this 2024 leaflet revamp happen and all who have commented at the various stages of its development. Creativo have printed the leaflet and there are plenty of copies at the Park. Do drop in once we are open, or on a workday, and collect some to share with friends or use as publicity.

Paul Loughnane