榮譽館長陳維壽老師

        陳維壽老師研究蝴蝶70年，為國內「蝴蝶資源之保育及開發」領域之權威。相關著作55本，在蝴蝶保育及推廣教育方面，獲得教育奉獻獎、金穗獎、金鼎獎等。曾任保護動物協會、賞蝶會會長，創設成功高中「蝴蝶宮˙昆蟲科學博物館」，現任榮譽館長。退休承辦過政府委託之大型蝴蝶保育相關之專案，包括農委會委託的「珠光鳳蝶緊急種原確保工作」及相關專案研究。(特有生物中心據其研究成果進行退休後之保育工作) 以下為老師的自述:

      Professor Chen Wei-shou has been researching butterflies for 70 years and is an authority in the field of "butterfly conservation and development" in Taiwan. He has authored 55 related works and has received the Education Contribution Award, the Golden Harvest Award, and the Golden Tripod Award for his contributions to butterfly conservation and educational promotion. He has served as the president of the Animal Protection Association and the Butterfly Watching Society, and he founded the "Butterfly Palace - Insect Science Museum" at Chenggong High School, where he is now the Honorary Director. After retirement, he undertook several large-scale butterfly conservation projects commissioned by the government, including the "Emergency Germplasm Conservation of the Papilio aristolochiae" project commissioned by the Council of Agriculture, among others. (The Endemic Species Research Institute continues the conservation work based on his research findings after his retirement.) Below is his personal account: 

        七十多年前，當我第一次上學時，在校園小灌木上發現了鮮綠色的花蕊。奇怪的是當我用手觸摸它時，它會搖擺身體。當時我以為是會動的花蕊，期望有一天它能夠開出一朵會動的花；過了幾天後的早上，當我蹲下來看它時，隨著一陣輕輕聲響，它裂開了，當然開不出會動的花，卻爬出一隻很醜的小蟲子，我失望得想把牠打下來，牠身上那又小又皺的翅膀竟像一把扇子打開，美麗的色彩、漂亮的花紋依序出現，成了一隻很美很美的蝴蝶。當我感動得想要伸手觸摸牠時，牠展開了翅膀飛向天空。那不僅僅是會動的花，而是一朵自由自在翱翔天際的美麗花朵。

    More than 70 years ago, when I first started school, I discovered a bright green flower bud on a small shrub in the schoolyard. What was strange was that when I touched it, it would wiggle. At that time, I thought it was a flower that could move, and I hoped that one day it would bloom into a flower that could move. A few days later, as I squatted down to observe it one morning, with a slight sound, it split open. Of course, it did not bloom into a moving flower; instead, a very ugly little insect crawled out. I was so disappointed that I wanted to knock it off. But then, its small, wrinkled wings unfolded like a fan. Beautiful colors and patterns appeared one by one, and it turned into a very, very beautiful butterfly. I was moved and wanted to reach out and touch it, but it spread its wings and flew into the sky. It was not just a moving flower; it was a beautiful flower soaring freely through the sky. 

        從此我對蝴蝶產生了濃厚的興趣與情感，慶幸的是我在小學，尤其在當年的北二中、後來的成功中學初中部、高中部念書的時候，遇到了很好的博物、生物教師，看到了我對校園飛舞的蝴蝶有興趣，就不約而期地在課外輔導我從採集蝴蝶開始，教我製作標本、飼養蝴蝶、研究蝴蝶，使我和蝴蝶結下不解之緣。七十多年來蝴蝶不斷地給我驚喜和快樂，我也為蝴蝶保育獻上了一生。

    From that moment, I developed a deep interest and affection for butterflies. Fortunately, during my time in elementary school and later at the junior and senior high divisions of Beier High School and Chenggong High School, I encountered excellent biology and natural science teachers. When they saw my interest in the butterflies fluttering around the campus, they took the initiative to guide me outside of class, teaching me how to collect butterflies, make specimens, raise butterflies, and study them. This fostered an unbreakable bond between me and butterflies. For over 70 years, butterflies have continued to bring me joy and surprises, and I have devoted my life to their conservation. 

        半世紀以前，故鄉台灣是著名的蝴蝶王國。因為台灣地處亞熱帶，且擁有叢山峻嶺，構成很複雜的生態系統，因此孕育了各種生物，還包括四百多種蝴蝶。當年人們不必進入深山幽谷，只要春夏季一到，即使是在台北市區可也以欣賞到各種蝴蝶美麗的舞姿。當年成功中學周圍幾乎沒有甚麼房子，到處有雜木林，學校沒有圍牆，每到春夏在校內有不少蝴影蝶姿，那時候我在校園採到超過５０種蝴蝶。可惜的是，隨著我的成長，其實是隨著台灣經濟的起飛、山野的開墾，蝴蝶王國的蝴蝶族群數量開始銳減。蝴蝶被迫退到深山幽谷，從此，平地再也看不到滿街飛舞的蝶姿蝶影。

      Half a century ago, Taiwan was known as the "Kingdom of Butterflies." Because Taiwan is located in the subtropics and has numerous mountains, it forms a complex ecosystem that supports a wide variety of life, including more than 400 species of butterflies. Back then, people didn’t have to venture into the deep mountains to admire butterflies. In the spring and summer, even in downtown Taipei, one could see all kinds of butterflies gracefully dancing. At that time, Chenggong High School was surrounded by hardly any buildings—there were wooded areas everywhere, and the school had no walls. In spring and summer, many butterflies would fly around the campus, and I once collected over 50 species within the school. Unfortunately, as I grew older, or rather, as Taiwan's economy took off and land was developed, the butterfly populations in the Kingdom of Butterflies began to decline sharply. Butterflies were forced to retreat into the remote mountains, and butterflies were no longer seen dancing in the streets. 

        我在傷心之餘，1960年向天發誓，將以有生之年推展蝴蝶保育工作。然而，當時的政府與民眾都不重視生態保育，不但隨時、屠殺野生動物甚至在大街上公開殺虎賣皮、肉、內臟。我身為一介教師，如何能夠實現理想呢？經過深慮，我認為應該向社會釋出有關蝴蝶美麗有趣的資訊，讓人們先認識蝴蝶，對蝴蝶發生興趣，才能夠使人們關心蝴蝶、萌發保育觀念。於是，我整理多年的研究資料，透過各種傳播媒體向社會散佈。為此，我寫了五十多本著作，拍攝我國第一部蝴蝶生態影片，並以個人收藏的標本為基礎，於民國７０年創設了成功高中昆蟲博物館。

     Feeling heartbroken, I swore to God in 1960 that I would devote my life to promoting butterfly conservation. However, at that time, neither the government nor the public paid attention to ecological conservation. Wildlife was slaughtered freely, and it was common to see people openly selling tiger skins, meat, and organs on the streets. As a teacher, how could I realize my ideals? After deep reflection, I believed that I should first introduce people to the beauty and fascinating aspects of butterflies. Only by raising awareness and interest in butterflies could people begin to care about them and develop a conservation mindset. So, I compiled my years of research and shared it with society through various media. For this purpose, I wrote over 50 books, produced Taiwan's first ecological film about butterflies, and, using my personal collection of specimens, established the Chenggong High School Insect Museum in 1981.