History of The Butterfly Farm
Opened in 1990, The Butterfly Farm in Costa Rica was the first live butterfly exhibit created in Latin America and the Caribbean. The story didn’t begin with a couple of intrepid entrepreneurs though. They just facilitated what had already been accomplished over many billions of years. 
We can start with the Big Bang. While the Big Bang theory is subject to considerable speculation, our universe is guessed to have come into creation about 14 billion years ago. There exists a lot of discussion about the cosmology, science and theology of this. Our Earth may arguably date back 4.5 billion years. Of course, nothing from our perspective would have amounted to anything had life on Earth not been established. 
One way to approach the likelihood of life on Earth would be to ask what are the key factors that had to have been present for life? These would include the existence of oxygen, a magnetic core, liquid water, a clear atmosphere, the perfect distance from the sun, a moon just so and so forth. It's thought that there are about 20 such key success factors. Were we to (randomly) assign a 1/10 probability for each of these key success factors occurring, then the possibility of any life at all emerging on our planet is conservatively estimated at 1/10,000,000,000,000,000,000! 
The landmass that we know today as Central America was formed between 40 and 3 million years ago. This was the result of both volcanic eruptions and the competing movement of tectonic plates. Given Costa Rica’s location, it receives sunlight year round and enjoys a stable year-round temperature. In San José, for example, the average noon temperature in June is 25.5º C. (78 F.) and in December it’s 23.5º C. (74 F.). Costa Rica hosts a dozen climatic zones that range from frosted peaks, rain forests and dry savannas. Strategically situated as part of a land-bridge between North and South America, Costa Rica facilitates the migration of countless species. The world’s highest concentration of plants, trees, reptiles, birds and insects occurs in Costa Rica. In the case of butterflies, about 1,000 species, or 5% of the world’s total, may be found in Costa Rica. In other words, the country was made to order for butterfly farming!
Not many countries can count on the social stability that Costa Rica has historically experienced. Since the arrival of the European colonists in the 17th century, Costa Rica was a much neglected backwater with few easy riches to be found. Relatively speaking, an egalitarian, hardworking and peaceful society ensued which made it possible for entrepreneurs and small business people to prosper. Costa Rica is a world leader in butterfly farming not solely because of its blessed biodiversity, but also the human condition that pervades.
After having founded Costa Rica Entomological Supply, Latin America’s first commercial butterfly farm in 1984, Joris Brinckerhoff and Maria Sabido opened their farm to the public in 1990. This was an especially difficult time as Joris had just finished his MBA in the United States and instead of returning with his wife and 3-month old daughter, left to Kenya to write the business plan for would soon become the Kipepeo Butterfly Project. Maria, who returned to Costa Rica with their infant daughter but no money in hand, oversaw the construction of the exhibit. Since its very humble beginnings, requiring a 12 year old neighbor to manage the cash receipts and the one telephone a 50 meter sprint away, The Butterfly Farm has been offering personalized guided tours every day to whomever cares to know more about these fascinating insects.