Our Butterfly Persuasion

Our backyard was a beautiful sight this year. First, because Roger painstakingly watches over every detail of the environment. And also, because of the incredibly gorgeous butterflies who came to visit. Since I’m new (me, Evie) to having a yard, at first I just noticed a butterfly flitting through now and then. Then I started to follow their flight and realized that they were landing on particular plants or bushes to feed.

Being also a newly-converted digital photographer, I began to seek them out each day in order to catch the on film (disc, whatever we call it now). What I found were some of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen in my life. And right here in my own back yard. Here are a few of those I was able to capture. http://picasaweb.google.com/EvieBartlett/Butterflies#

Then I began to research them. I found some amazing statistics. They migrate from New England to Mexico each year. And they return to the same areas, sometimes even the same bushes, in their annual migration. If people can’t find their way around the block without a GPS, how do these creatures do it?

They need certain plants to breed, and certain plants to feed. And, when they have those plants, they keep coming back. And the natural habitats that have supported them are being lost, so conservationists are urging more and more people to provide the habitats where they can thrive.

I discovered a program called the Monarch Way Station, http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/, where you can purchase a combination of seeds needed by the butterflies. Then you can have your “butterfly garden” certified as a Monarch Way Station. Schools and communities are promoting this program as a way to get children involved in the conservation of these beautiful creatures.

So now we have a plan. We are reclaiming part of our yard to become a butterfly garden. We already have some of the plants that support them, which is why we saw so many of them this year. By adding a few more, we’re hoping to enjoy the beauty of the butterflies every year. And begin to recognize them and welcome our new friends during their annual migration.