killing butterflies

[speakergirl at webtv.net]

I have been in the field of environmental education in the US for nearly
12 years, and would like to add to the killing/collecting discussion, as
I disagree with most of the posts I've read in this thread. I'm not
looking for a flame war, just thought another way of looking at this
might be of interest...

Most of my day is spent in the woods & field with dozens of elementary
school aged students. I enforce 2 very strict rules during the day: 1)
respect all other students in your class as well as your teachers, 2) no
intentional killing of any creature. Breaking either rule will earn you
a quick trip to the "time out table", or possibly back to school. It
isn't always easy, but you _can_ get kids to marvel at the wonders of
nature, sometimes without even _touching_ anything. (Touching of course,
is allowed and encouraged - except for the high school students who
would sometimes go off behind a tree to touch each other... "Alright you
two, go to separate timeout tables!") It is clear these rules are for
when the students are with me outdoors. I do not preach to them and tell
them clearly, if they want to kill something, they may do so on their
own time & property, but here, they are visitors who respect each
creature, and that is the rule here.

Yes, you could argue that killing for collecting is very different from
killing out of cruelty or ignorance but that really makes no difference
to the animal being killed, as it ends up dead either way. There are
people such as hunters or collectors, who look at an animal as a member
of a population.  There are others, such as AR people, who look at an
animal as an individual. Neither is right or wrong, just different. The
best things happen when both views can be expressed and discussed
without resorting to name-calling and rudeness.

Another fine point to this discussion is this: Encouraging a child to
take the life of an insect, you are telling the child that to kill
something under his control is OK _ sometimes _. Well, as he gets older,
larger things than insects are under his control... the pre-pubescent
youth now has to draw a fine line between what killing is OK and what is
not. Pre-pubescents often have enough else to worry about! I _am not _
saying butterfly collectors will grow up to be serial killers!!!! Just
that we need to be careful in the messages we send very _young_ children
about respecting _all_ forms of life.

I have never, however, underestimated the educational power of a dead
thing once it is dead. I jog 3 miles daily and have picked up and
pocketed for later display dozens of roadkilled butterflies over the
years. Unfortunately, I know I may have been responsible for some of
these deaths, but I do try to minimize any intentional suffering or
death I might cause. I also use a variety of furs, feathers, bones,
skulls and other parts from roadkill I collect, and love to see kids
faces light up when they know they can hold or touch such objects (
after they have been properly prepared). I don't think anyone would
argue that kids today certainly do need to be made more aware of the
wonders of life, and their relationships to the creatures they share the
planet with.

A sign posted above my desk reminds me every morning of the importance
of the message I send these kids...

"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar, is as important to the
child, as it is to the caterpillar." - Bradley Miller.

My $0.02.

Sue