Greetings Ant Lovers,
I’m going for it! I’m building a huge 82-acre nature park which I’m tentatively naming Antopia Park, which I intend to open to the public and to tourists. In this video, I discuss my plans for launching such a large-scale operation, ask for your feedback and help to make certain decisions, as well as give you a sample “Antopia Park Tour” experience. Come join me as we venture into the wilderness and explore the amazing world of ants, and hopefully make some epic discoveries along the way.
My Plans For Building an 82-Acre Ant Conservation Park | “Antopia Park”
A couple of weeks ago, I made the announcement in our 4 million subscribers episode that I had purchased for us a lush forest, as well as an additional 82 acres—i.e., 62 football fields worth of mixed agricultural and remote landscape.
We did this for three reasons:
First, these lands would become our current and future Nature Reserves/Eco-Sanctuaries for wild ants, as well as the animals that depend on them, to thrive in their native habitats without having to worry one bit about pesticides, habitat destruction, or harmful human activities threatening their existence. Basically, it would be our conservation project to help the ants and Mother Nature out a bit!
Second, these lands undoubtedly host a ton of amazing wild ant colonies for us to discover and film along the way. Hopefully, we can teach others how important ants are in the ecosystems of the world and inspire them to love ants just as much as we do here on the channel.
Finally, having our forest and 82 acres of land gives us a unique opportunity to help contribute to science as we uncover the ant secrets the land holds. Surprisingly enough, we’ve already made two discoveries within our forest—when we became the first in the world to document new geographic locations of two ant species.
There’s definitely still so much out there for us to discover, hiding within the wilderness of our lands. Crossing fingers, I still hope we’re able to discover and name a brand-new ant species, undiscovered by science.
But just this week, guys, an even wilder and crazier idea came to me—one that I felt might help take these cool conservation projects of ours one step further.
AC Family, I did some brainstorming, and today I can’t wait to show you what I have planned. I want to build a Jurassic Park for Ants that maybe, one day, you’d be able to visit—if all goes well.
Promise—no velociraptor ants breaking out and eating everybody! But guys, I want all of you at home to be involved in the creation of our new Ant Conservation Park, which, if plans push through, would be open to the public.
Welcome to Antopia Park, here on the AntsCanada Ant Channel!
Please SUBSCRIBE to the channel and hit the BELL icon.
Welcome to the AC Family! Enjoy.
Community Tab Post
Now, I just want to say that I’m not 100% sold on the idea of an Ant Jurassic Park just yet. I even asked you guys what you thought about the whole idea in a community tab post this week.
Today, I’ll be talking about your mixed reactions, as well as what your Great AC Senate thought about this crazy idea!
I’ll also cover all my ideas for our possible future Ant Park, the pros and cons of building such a place, and we’ll take a sample guided tour through our Ant Park and catch up on the ants living in our forest.
But most importantly, I will need all of your help in deciding a few things, so keep on watching until the end!
So, let’s first start with what you guys thought about the idea of creating an Ant Conservation Park open to the public.
The Poll
Before brainstorming, I decided to run the idea of an Ant Jurassic Park by you guys by posting on my Community Tab:
“Should I create an 82-acre ‘Jurassic Park for Ants’ open to the PUBLIC/TOURISTS?”
Here’s what you said:
Surprisingly, 75% of you were for the idea, saying you’d love to go to a place like that.
However, a quarter of you felt it wasn’t a good idea, fearing that people or tourists might litter or destroy the land of our beloved ants and creatures.
Your Great AC Senate, who I also asked, was even more on the fence, with almost half of the AC Senators voting against the idea.
Thank you to all who voted and gave your valuable input!
I read through all your amazing comments, heard you out, and took all your feedback into consideration.
And so, AC Family, here’s what I came up with for a Jurassic Park for Ants that just might work!
The Plan
OK, so we’ve got two large ant properties, each separated by thousands of miles.
In fact, the larger property is on an entirely different island.
Let’s call Antopia, which includes our new forest, Location A, and our 82-acre plot of land, Location B.
But both properties will be called Antopia Park.
OK—not the most original name or logo, but this is tentative for now for the purposes of this video.
Feel free to give name suggestions for our future Ant Conservation Park in the comments! I’ll choose my favorites for us to vote on in a future video and design an appropriate logo.
Alright, so picture this:
Just like in the fictional Jurassic Park movie series, we could have two working locations.
• Antopia (Location A) could act as our smaller, more localized Antopia Park.
• The 82 acres (Location B) would be our bigger, large-scale Conservation Ant Park.
Now, my idea is to first launch Phase 1, where we make Antopia open to visitors first.
That way, we can see what actually works and what doesn’t, and apply what we learn to our larger Location B.
Now, a lot of you were concerned that a large number of tourists wouldn’t be good due to littering or habitat destruction, particularly for Antopia, which is less than half a hectare of land and forest.
I agree with this, so here’s what I propose:
We start small with Antopia Park Location A.
I was thinking visitors could be small groups and by reservation only.
An AC Senate member even suggested that only scientific academia be allowed to visit Antopia Park to conduct research.
I’m not sure about that because I’d love for non-scientists to get a chance to learn about ants, too.
But how about this?
What if we control the volume of visitors coming in by making Antopia Park visitations by booking only?
That way, we’d be able to control and monitor the activities of the park’s visitors, perhaps allowing three to five groups of 10 people max per day, with each group having a tour guide accompanying them.
What do you guys think of this?
I’ll be doing a sample “Guided Tour Through Antopia Park” by yours truly in a sec, so hang tight for that!
Controlled Visitation for Location B
In terms of Antopia Park Location B, I don’t foresee a ton of tourists traveling there either because it’s truly in a remote area—an almost 3-hour car ride from the closest airport.
I think only the most hardcore ant lovers would be willing to make the trek over to Antopia Park Location B.
But if not, I think we could make visitation there reservation-only as well and control tourist volume and activity that way.
Overnight Stay
Now, in terms of overnight stays, I have thought of this too!
Some of you were concerned that building a hotel or other buildings on the land would be counterproductive, as it would mean clearing natural habitat.
I agree.
Which is why I propose something else:
Treehouse Villas!
Treehouse Villas Instead of Hotels
So, AC Family, get this—
Remember how we have many huge trees that make up the canopy in Antopia?
Now, imagine three to five treehouse villas—their architecture and design inspired by weaver ant nests.
They would be connected by stairs and bridges, and lit by lanterns shaped like weaver ant nests!
This would give people a chance to experience what it feels like to be weaver ants, living high up in the trees.
Would you stay at a weaver ant treehouse villa at Antopia Park?
Another option is camping, but perhaps in elevated tents, raised off the ground on legs.
Food & Refreshments
Of course, our visitors need food and refreshments, so at Antopia Park Location A, food would need to be prepared at the Ant House for each group.
That way, we don’t need to build a restaurant at Antopia!
We could also partner with eco-friendly local restaurants, offering meals in recyclable containers to keep things sustainable.
For Antopia Park Location B, however, this wouldn’t be as easy.
There are no restaurants for miles, so food would have to come from local farmers who are already farming on some of the land.
This is actually great because it gives them work, provides their families with a livelihood, and creates a strong community purpose.
Entomophagy – Eating Insects
Now, here’s one final cool idea before we embark on our sample guided tour of Antopia Park.
Would you try eating this?
One thing we could offer on the menu is “entomophagy options”—basically, food made from insects!
Did you know we humans can now make breads, pastas, burgers, hotdogs, chips, snacks, and candies from insects?
We could serve:
• Deep-fried cricket salad
• Mealworm burgers
• Pizza made with insect dough, topped with weaver ant pupae
Now, you might think eating insects sounds counterintuitive, especially since Antopia Park is all about saving ants.
But actually, entomophagy (eating insects) is a more sustainable and eco-friendly source of protein than mass-produced livestock.
The mass meat industry is quite destructive to the environment because:
1.It produces massive amounts of animal waste that harm ecosystems.
2.It requires large amounts of land for farming and processing.
By contrast, farming insects has none of these problems and is nutritionally healthier than red meat.
What do you think? Would you try an insect-based meal at Antopia Park?
Guided Tour – Welcome to Antopia Park!
But what excites me the most about Antopia Park is the prospect of giving you guys actual guided tours—live and in person!
Doing this would be just like my videos, but in real life!
My script would change every time, depending on what we actually see on the tour.
So, AC Family, come with me now on a hypothetical tour through Antopia Park Location A.
Would you make the effort to travel for this experience?
Ahem…
Antopia Park – Sample Guided Tour
Good day, fellow ant lovers!
Welcome to Antopia Park.
I’m your tour guide, AntsCanada, and today, we’re going to trek through our ant forest to do some wild ant spotting!
I’d like to remind everyone:
🚫 Littering and smoking are absolutely not allowed anywhere on the park grounds.
⚠️ Please keep your hands to yourselves—there are tons of plants, animals, and fungi that can kill you.
✋ Feel free to raise your hand if you have any questions at any point.
🐜 Be extra careful not to step on the ants!
Alright? Let’s go!
Wild Ants – First Stop
Now, if you look along the ground and into the leaf litter here, you’ll spot a trail of Asian marauder ants, known scientifically as Carebara diversa.
These ants are found throughout Antopia, and what makes them special are their huge supermajors, which specialize in cutting things open and defense.
You may even spot some of the smaller minors riding on their backs to save energy.
Could you imagine being one of these supermajors, having your sisters piggyback riding you all day?!
That would be a major drag… hehe!
Cicadas & Their 17-Year Life Cycle
Now, if you listen closely up in the treetops, you’ll hear the resounding screeching chorus of some very loud insects.
Those are cicadas—males singing to attract females!
Their lifecycle is amazing:
1.They hatch underground as nymphs.
2. They develop for 17 years underground, feeding on tree sap from roots.
3. After 17 years, they emerge from the ground and shed their exoskeletons.
4. The adults fly up to the treetops, mate, and produce the next generation of cicadas, which will take another 17 years to mature.
But look here!
A mob of weaver ants has managed to catch a molting cicada at just the right time.
Poor cicada.
I don’t know why they won’t just weaver alone! Haha!
Weaver Ants & Treehouse Villas
Speaking of weaver ants (scientific name Oecophylla smaragdina), you’ll find trails of them all over the forest here at Antopia Park.
These ants are top predators and eat a variety of different insects.
Their hanging leaf nests, which they create using their larvae’s silk, were actually the inspiration for your treehouse villas tonight!
Oh, and speaking of which—
The shampoos and soaps in your bathrooms are:
✔️ Eco-friendly
✔️ Sulfate-free
✔️ Organic
In fact, all of Antopia Park is a 100% zero-waste, eco-friendly establishment!
🌞 Powered by solar energy
🛁 Cleaned using vinegar & baking soda
🧺 Bedsheets washed with eco-friendly detergents
We are committed to sustainable living, just like the ants!
Scientific Discoveries at Antopia Park
We’ve actually made some exciting scientific discoveries right here in Antopia Park!
For example:
• We discovered Meranoplus bicolor, a beautiful ant species that had never been recorded in this country before.
•We were the first to document the species Dilobocondyla carinata on this island!
These lands are rich with undiscovered ant species waiting to be found.
Funding Antopia Park
Yes, you have a question, sir?
“How is Antopia Park funded? Is this government-funded or sustained through donations?”
Great question!
Antopia Park is private property, owned by the AntsCanada Ant Channel.
It is run by:
✔️ The AC Family (that’s YOU!)
✔️ The AC Senate (our board of decision-makers)
✔️ A team of amazing volunteers
We may also launch an “Adopt-a-Forest” program in the future!
Alright, that concludes our tour of Antopia Park.
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
Would you visit Antopia Park?
Final Thoughts on Antopia Park
So, AC Family, what do you think?
Do you believe the Antopia Park idea is feasible?
Maybe this dream is ambitious, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned in life, it’s that you’ve gotta dream big!
If there’s one thing we can learn from the ants we love on this channel, it’s that with hard work and a million tiny steps, grain by grain, everything adds up—eventually forming a mighty ant hill.
Wouldn’t you say?
I once read a biography about an 18-year-old kid who got his first job as a cartoonist in Kansas City over a hundred years ago.
That kid would later go on to build one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world—known today as the Walt Disney Company.
All great things start small.
How It All Started
You know, when I first started this channel almost 12 years ago, keeping ants in homemade ant farms in my little bedroom at my parents’ house in Canada, I always believed that ants were the most amazing creatures on the planet.
But they had a bad rap.
They just needed to be shown in a different light—in their true beauty, intelligence, and brilliance.
I never imagined that 12 years later, we’d be working on large-scale projects like this to help ants on a global level.
But here we are.
And I don’t intend on stopping.
I want to see how far we can go and push the boundaries of ant love.
And as far as I’m concerned, you guys are all Ant Love Ambassadors—you’ve continued to amaze me over the years!
From reading your comments to seeing how many of you watch every week, to witnessing your amazing participation in our decision-making process for the ants…
It’s so clear how much ant love exists in you guys, and how much these ants have impacted your lives.
For a nerdy ant lover like me, that’s truly humbling to see.
Why This Matters
If these videos can inspire just one person to see an ant crawling by and not squish it for no reason, then to me, this channel has done its job successfully.
If that person is you, thank you for giving ants a chance and for allowing them into your heart.
I truly believe Antopia Park, or whatever we decide to call it, could do some great things—for both the ants of the world and for us, if it ever becomes a reality.
And until that magical day comes—when I get the privilege of giving you a personal tour through Antopia Park…
Thank you for watching and supporting the ants.
It’s ant love forever.
A Mysterious Notification
Just then, I received a notification on my phone.
It was a message from Dr. General, regarding the Crematogaster ants we sent him from our forest in Antopia.
I wondered—did he have exciting news to share with us?
Could it be that these ants turned out to be a new, undiscovered species?
Well, AC Family, you won’t believe the awesome news he had for us!
Outro
Did you enjoy today’s episode?
Would you visit Antopia Park?
And can you guess what awesome news Dr. General had to share with us regarding the Crematogaster ants from Antopia?
I’ll reveal the answer in next week’s episode!
So much nature and ant fun is ahead!
If you haven’t yet, what are you waiting for?
Come be a part of the exciting ant fun and discovery—and SMASH that SUBSCRIBE button and BELL ICON now!
Hit ALL, so you get notified at every upload.
And don’t forget to hit the LIKE button—every single time, including now.
It would really mean a lot to me, guys.
Thank you!
AC Inner Colony Special Content
AC Inner Colony, I’ve left a hidden cookie for you here!
If you’d like to watch extended play scenes of the ants we saw during our Antopia Park tour, be sure to click the link below.
And guys—don’t forget to visit AntsCanada.com for all your ant-keeping and collecting gear, shipped to you in a special package from our ant-loving facility in the USA.
So you can get the most out of your ant-keeping experience!
We ship worldwide and offer full email support if you need help.
We also have a helpful forum and an ant colony trading marketplace on the site.
Visit AntsCanada.com today!
AC Question of the Week
And now, it’s time for the AC Question of the Week!
Last week, we asked:
“Name one layer of a healthy forest.”
Congratulations to Discoturkey Gamez, who answered:
“The canopy or overstory.”
Congratulations, Discoturkey! You’ve just won a free Ultimate Ant Keeping Handbook from our shop!
Now, for this week’s AC Question of the Week:
“What is your favorite part of the Antopia Park idea?”
Leave your answer in the comments section, and you could also win a free Ultimate Ant Keeping Handbook from our shop!
Hope you guys subscribe to the channel, as we upload every Saturday at 8 AM EST.
Please remember to LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE if you enjoyed this video—so we can keep making more.
It’s ant love forever! 🐜❤️