Killing butterflies and habitat destruction

[Laurel Godley]

Neil et al,

I would like to add on to, or should I say expand upon your email.  
Strangely enough, I have found the best way to get people excited about 
butterflies and butterfly habitats is to show them butterflies.  Someone 
else here said that most people don't even notice butterflies in the 
wild.  Sadly this is all too true.  I know this because two years ago I 
was one of those people.  An avid outdoors-woman, I tended to go for the 
big picture stuff, not mere bugs.  But then one day, I bought a 
butterfly display box at a street art faire (by product of the dreaded 
collectors and professional breeders of the world) and my life has 
changed since.

After returning from a lovely naturalist trip to Costa Rica this Jan, 
led by butterfly expert and consultant Rick Mikula, I was hooked.  Since 
then, I notice butterflies everywhere and have gotten into breeding them 
as a hobby.  This had led me to many great experiences and opportunities 
since.

But the highlight of this whole long story, is that two weeks ago my 
community garden (in San Jose, CA) had a harvest fest/picinic.  I was 
able to take many living butterflies from my rearing stock to show 
people.  It was exciting to show the kids and adults alike.  They were 
captivated!  And I have often had the opportunity to show other 
gardeners what various eggs and caterpillar look like, often saving the 
weeds (and hence the butterflies) they were about to pull up.

As a professional environmentalist, this excites me beyond belief.  The 
fact is, I am able to get other people to think about something they 
might never have thought about.  Stories, pictures, and nature trips may 
never be enough.  If you can't bring people to nature bring nature to 
them.  Some people may argue that this creates an artifical environment 
in which others don't see or understand the real value of conservation.  
I choose not to have an opinion on that.  I just hope that the critters 
I capture now, the love & efforts I put into  rearing the lil buggers 
will someday touch the hearts of enough people in enough places that 
maybe, just maybe I can touch the souls of those in places to make that 
difference.  Besides I'm thinking of some future PhD work of my own now.

Now wasn't that sappy!  Cheerio...  Laurel 

 
>Before I present this argument I would like to state once again
>that I do not wish to see collecting banned nor do I believe that
>lepidoptera should never be killed.

>If we are to achieve the conservation of _any_ species it is necessary 
to
>convince the people of the area where it occurs to look after it.
>You cannot do this if you also argue that it is permissable to kill it 
for
>fun. This is not the argument of a animal rights activist but of a
>conservationist experienced in the sharp end of conserving lepidoptera.
>This does not of course mean banning collecting. 

>I am concerned also that many collectors posting here have a very
>anti-government stance. I do not have a high opinion of government 
either.
>This should be apparent from my comments on politicians above. However
>if we are to achieve proper conservation of lepidoptera properly
>constructed legislation is necessary.

>Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
>"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
>butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn 
Bog
>National Nature Reserve
>
>


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