The final Friday of the month means it’s time for We Are the World Blogest, a day for promoting positive news. It delights me to participate as an agent of pronoia highlighting feel-good news stories for us all to celebrate.
Co-hosting this project this month are: Shilpa Garg, Simon Falk, Mary J Giese, Dan Antion, and Damyanti Biswas. Do check out their posts, along with everyone else participating, and feel free to join us here.
It so happens that June is National Pollinator’s Month in the U.S. and my observation has included honoring our bees and butterflies with a couple of blog posts, and doing some research on some native species of moths in my area for a project I’m working on. As is often the case when researching, I managed to fall down a rabbit hole, and came across this story I want to share this month for #WATWB.
Tim Wong is a biologist, and he’s credited with single-handedly returning the diminishing California pipevine swallowtail butterfly population to healthy numbers in San Francisco.
You can read the story here, and watch a video clip here.
I love this story because it proves one person CAN make a difference, and it’s an incredible tale about how intertwined species are. The California pipeline plant all but disappeared in San Francisco due to destruction of habitat. The California pipevine swallowtail butterfly only feeds on California pipevine as a caterpillar, and without the plant there are no butterflies. Now with the reintroduction of a more robust population of butterflies, there is evidence that fruit production is increasing thanks to the butterflies assistance with pollination. Win-win-win.
There are many reasons to care about butterflies. They play an important role in pollination; their abundant presence marks a thriving ecosystem; and because they are particularly sensitive to climate change, scientists monitor them and the warnings they offer. But I think it would be wrong to ignore simply ignore the beauty they add to this world. I’m particularly fond of poet Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun’s observation:
“The butterfly is a flying flower,
The flower a tethered butterfly.”
What do you think? How’s the butterfly population in your area? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
What a wonderful project. I admire how organized and determined this man is. Of course, those butterflies are so beautiful. I’ve not seen any like them around here.
They are gorgeous aren’t they? What satisfaction he must feel every time he sees one.
Such a cool story and right in my own backyard! Thanks for sharing this, Deborah. Those butterflies are gorgeous! I’ll have to remember them the next time I start a coloring project!
I love that you have an opportunity to see them up close and personal Janet! And they’d make a lovely coloring project indeed.
Thank you. I needed a positive story just now.
I always look forward to the monthly #WATWB posts – our hearts and minds need to concentrated doses of positive news to counter all the hard. Wishing you the best Beth.
beautiful story – good on tim and again the power to change the world starts with each person- if we each play our part …oh what a beautiful world we can remake !!!!
I am awed by the whole transformational process of the butterfly – – as a child there was a milk pod like bush at our back door that was beloved by I think it was the monarch and we often got ourselves involved in this process with them. I can still feel the excitement of mum mum look now …watching it all unfold.
thank you deborah for sharing
I have passed it on to fellow butterfly enthusiasts
That’s a lovely memory Sandra. And I have no doubt it was monarchs you were watching – they love milkweed. I have a wonderful memory of a beloved big fat green caterpillar we named Herman when I was quite young. Watching him transform into a butterfly was beyond magical.
Hi Deborah – I’ve seen quite a few butterflies around here .. but have yet to identify them … however the weather isn’t conducive to warmth at the moment – not sure if it’s the volcanic eruptions keeping the sun away … but it’s gloomy. Still perhaps it’ll keep the flowers out for longer. It’s great to read about your pollination stories … and for this post on that special butterfly. The Pipevine plant is rather interesting to know about … and saving a butterfly is wonderful news – cheers Hilary
It’s rather exciting you have a whole new set of flora and fauna to appreciate Hilary, even if actual identification is a bit daunting. Wishing you a bit more sunshine to enjoy those flowers in.
Oops! I just realised I posted my WATWB post a week early…I think it’s because I had it in Google calendar as being on the 4th Friday of every month, but there’s been 5 of them this month! I can’t seem to find a way to schedule it for the last friday, so it could well happen again!
I love to hear about projects like this. Butterflies are so beautiful. We mainly get ‘Cabbage whites’ and ‘Red Admirals’ around here.
You’re just an early bird with the good news Tizzy – that something to celebrate!
We have Cabbage Whites and Red Admirals in Chicago as well. I’ve recently become fascinated by moths as well, So many beautiful pollinators to love and appreciate!
Thanks so much for joining us this month and sharing such an important story. Even for serious problems, individuals can make a difference. I love butterflies but we see fewer and fewer of them each year.
The world-wide decline in butterfly population is quite concerning and disheartening. It’s always a delight to see pollinator-friendly plantings, but we have far to go controlling our pesticide use. But as you say, individuals can make a difference and it’s always a joy to celebrate them.
I love #WATWB – always so much goodness to discover and enjoy.
I enjoyed watching the video and the one after it about Tim Wong – a gentle, beautiful soul making a difference. Thank you for this lovely story of hope!
And thank you for stopping by JoAnna and sharing in the celebration of beauty and goodness.
My favourite butterfly is the Ulysses found in FarNorth Queensland. I really enjoyed your post on this important project
What a gorgeous butterfly Kate! Blue butterflies seem especially spectacular to me. We have some locally with blue markings, but not as a predominate color.
Gorgeous photos and story Deborah thanks so much for sharing it! I’m not partaking this month – travelling – I’ve enjoyed seeing butterflies in various places as we flutter by – my spirits are always lifted.
Traveling invites so much wonderfulness into our lives, and how lucky you get to experience such a wide variety of flora and fauna! Wishing you continued fun on your travels, and look forward to hearing more, as well as catching your next #WATWB post.
Great to know people are involved in restoring the butterfly/bee populations. We are in dire trouble if the pollinators disappear.
Indeed we are!
I love that poem about the butterfly, thank you for introducing me to it. Wonderful story too.
Flowers and butterflies – nature’s poetry for sure! Thanks so much for stopping by Kalpana.
Thanks for bringing the story, I read the whole post on how this young man had taken a wonderful initiative:) as a child I loved watching colorful butterflies, now I don’t see much in our place. this post was very educative, thanks for enhancing my knowledge.
One of the things I most love about #WATWB is the chance to learn stuff each month – expanding our knowledge and allowing us the chance to celebrate goodness. Wishing you more opportunities to see butterflies!
They’re beautiful Deborah – and isn’t it wonderful to see how one person can make a difference.
I love to see butterflies – there aren’t so many around here. It’s probably too cold mostly, although this year I have seen a few more with all this fabulous sunshine we’re getting at the minute. We’ve all concentrating on plants for the bees – it’s time to think about the other beautiful hardworking insects’ needs.
I understand you’re having quite the summer – I hope you continue to get your fair share of sunshine (and butterflies!) It’s fun to think about planting pollinator-friendly flowers taking into consideration what is most delightful for each species.
Whenever someone says “But what can I do? I’m only one person.” I am going to share this with them. Thanks, Deborah for the reminder that one person can not only make a difference but a huge one. Beautiful butterflies! I see a lot of them but like Hilary, I have not yet tried to identify them. I’m working on identifying flora and fauna as I get decent pictures of them so if some butterflies would hold still for me, I’d be able to find out what they are. LOL!
One thing I have noticed this year is I seem to be seeing more honey bees and more people selling honey. Hopefully that bodes well for their population!
Good luck with getting the flutterbys to pose for your pics Emily. That’s very encouraging about seeing more bees – I hope the trend continues!
Wow. I guess one person can make a difference. Great story!
And there you have it! 🙂
Hi Deborah what a lovely story and proves we can all make a difference. I live in Brisbane, Australia and unfortunately, I don’t see as many butterflies these days compared to when I was a child. When I do see one though it fills me with joy. There is something special about butterflies. Wishing you a beautiful day. 🙂
Sue from Sizzling Towards 60 & Beyond
There IS something about butterflies isn’t there Sue?! Seeing them fills me with joy as well. I’ve enjoyed taking a peek at the various butterflies native to different areas, and you’ve got some lovely ones in Brisbane. Enjoy them!
Fully agree again; yes one person can make a difference. It doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture, hence, I believe the small positive contributions each of us makes are making even a bigger difference for the better.
Happy to report the butterflies thrive over here, well, at least in our garden 🙂
XxX
I’m with you Patty – our contributions don’t have to be grand or showy to make a difference.
Yay for an abundance of butterflies by you. Having seen photos of your garden I can understand why they enjoy visiting.