an invitation to Jeff, to join the Miami Blue Crew

[Anne Kilmer]

A quote from American Butterflies:
"A not-so-secret message

[Dear Jeff, a reader wrote:] "Who do you think you are? I have rarely 
been so disappointed, rarely felt such a loss. I am referring to your 
arrogant decision to publish the exact locations of breeding populations 
of rare butterflies. You have no right to give away their privacy. It is 
not necessary for us to see these creatures to become intimate with 
them. I am sure that not only the most ethical butterfly enthusiasts 
read your magazine; you must be aware that collectors are keeping up 
with all the current information, much of which you are providing the 
public. For this, and other reasons, I am canceling my membership in NABA.

"Jeanne R. Tinsman, Tuckerton, NJ

"The point of the editorial was that keeping locations of rare 
butterflies a secret from the general public is counterproductive. My 
belief is that this strategy, longterm, is doomed to failure. As the 
editorial made clear, the reason I favor releasing information about 
these populations is to save them by involving the public, not to allow 
people to put them on their life list. Ed.

Jeff Glassberg, in American Butterflies, Vol. 9: Number 4 Winter 2001"

Dear Jeff,
Inspired by this suggestion, we have gathered a grassroots movement 
and, again,  eagerly invite you to take part in it.  Welcome to the 
Miami Blue Crew.

This is what we can do for you.  Many of us have intimate relations with 
the Miami Blue, having known it when it was Hemiargus thomasi 
bethunebakeri. (Now, as you know, it is Cyclargus thomasi 
bethunebakeri.) Some of these are collectors.
Others are professional breeders of butterflies, eager to be of service; 
many of them in the state of Florida.
Our consulting scientists are the experts on this butterfly.
We are working with the Master Gardener program under the aegis of IFAS. 
These are the people who formed the Butterfly Coalition with me.
Florida Nature Centers such as Gumbo Limbo and Pine Jog are continuing a 
study program that will combine the efforts of school children and 
butterfly watchers to record the movements of butterflies and organize 
neighborhoods to create habitat.
To this, the Internation Butterfly Breeders Association is adding energy 
and knowledge.
The Garden Clubs are also enthusiastic about butterfly gardening, and 
will be of great help.
We have schools where children are already growing butterfly gardens and 
studying butterflies, and others where the environment can be studied in 
depth ... these schools could become butterfly sanctuaries where many 
rare butterflies could be seeded,  under the supervision of local 
breeders and butterfly gardeners.
It would be good for the children, I am sure you'll agree, to learn the 
science of butterflies as well as the art. Therefore you do want the 
butterflies dissected, collected and displayed. That, as you know, is 
how science works.

We, the Miami Blue Crew, march under the banner of Butterflies for 
Peace. So far, everybody has joined up, and I can't imagine why you 
wouldn't be delighted to. It was practically your idea, after all.

http://www.risingdove.com/miamiblue/images.asp
We hope that we can somehow bring peace to the world, if we all work 
together lovingly, and we choose to use the butterfly as a symbol for 
that ... or perhaps the butterfly has chosen us.
Many NABA members are already on board. I am myself a member, of course, 
as you know. We appreciate non-consumptive enjoyment of butterflies, but 
have moved on to productive enjoyment. It's even more fun ... ask John 
Shuey.  Restoring habitat is a great game.
If you'd like to join in, just email Bob Parcelles, and tell him what 
role you'd like to play in the organization. We need someone to work 
with the parks department and liaise with Native Plants and IBBA, for 
instance.
I'd love to see Alana Edwards leading this project; she has the contacts 
and the skills. What a great PhD subject it would make.
We're all working for fun, by the way, not for funds.
But if some money drifted our way, that would be all right, too.
Peace
Anne Kilmer
Task Force Director
Miami Blue Crew
Vice-chairman
Miami Blue Butterfly Restoration Project

Please feel free to pass this invitation on to all your members, and to 
anyone else interested in joining. We'd like everybody involved by Earth 
Day, our special festival.



 
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