Waikīkī Students Unveil Butterfly Mosaic at Zoo
Second and fourth graders at Waikīkī School completed a large-scale Kamehameha Butterfly mosaic displayed at the Honolulu Zoo.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Primary Education
Students at Waikīkī School unveiled a large-scale Kamehameha Butterfly mosaic at the Honolulu Zoo on Thursday. The project was a partnership between the school and the zoo and took three years to complete.
Why it matters
The mosaic reflects the school's commitment to place-based education, connecting students to native Hawaiian wildlife. It sits next to a Koa Butterfly artwork the same students created at the zoo in 2022.
The project spanned three years of work, with second and fourth graders painting the wings and third graders cutting and firing ceramic pieces. The Kamehameha Butterfly is one of only two native butterfly species in Hawaii, and the display's long-term duration was not reported.
The players
Waikīkī School
A Honolulu public elementary school whose second, third, fourth and first grade students designed and built the mosaic as a place-based learning project.
Honolulu Zoo
A zoo in Waikīkī that hosted the mosaic and partnered with the school on the project, and that already displays the school's earlier Koa Butterfly artwork.
The details
Second and fourth graders painted the original wings onto sticker board, which was then cut out as a pattern. Third graders cut the design out of ceramic and fired it, and first graders glazed the finished pieces before they were assembled into the mosaic.
Timeline
2022: Waikīkī School students created the Koa Butterfly artwork at the Honolulu Zoo.
Three years before the unveiling: Waikīkī School began work on the Kamehameha Butterfly mosaic.
Thursday, November 5, 2026: The Kamehameha Butterfly mosaic was unveiled at the Honolulu Zoo.
Roadmap
The Kamehameha Butterfly mosaic extends the Koa Butterfly artwork Waikīkī School students created at the Honolulu Zoo in 2022, forming a second native-species installation by the same school. Together the two pieces show a sustained pattern of student-built wildlife art tied to the zoo's native-species focus.
Honolulu residents and visitors can view the mosaic at the Honolulu Zoo alongside the Koa Butterfly artwork next to it. The display gives families a concrete way to see native Hawaiian butterfly species up close during a zoo visit.
The takeaway
Student-built public art can turn classroom projects into lasting community resources that teach native species to visitors. Families visiting the Honolulu Zoo can use the mosaic and nearby Koa Butterfly artwork as a starting point for conversations about Hawaii's native wildlife.
Further reading
Explore more Primary Education coverage from Honolulu schools.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KHON2.
