Miami Blue ACTION!

[Ron Gatrelle]

Amid all the retoric and public posturing to the cameras and microphones,
what is the most important _on site_ action that has occurred relative to
the Miami Blue situation in south Florida?

There is a clear and unambiguious answer to that one.  It was Jeff
Glassberg's announcemnt to the world of exactly where the butterfly _site_
was located.

What is the result of this action?  The destruction of the only known
habitat area for this butterfly by _butterfly watchers_ and likely the
death of trampled larvae on the plants.    The following is from our MBBRP
team who visited the location only to find this horror story.  Some
bracketed remarks for clairity add by me.

"...But what distresses me [Bob Parcelles] most is that a team [from
MBBRP]with a complete support staff funded by the Coffy-Mellon Foundation,
under the auspices of Joe Coffy, went this week to the [state] park and
found large numbers of sight seeer's,(sp?) photographers and tourists (many
from Germany) all over the habitat of the Miami Blue with quite a toll
taken of the plants.  We located bugs in a perilous situations.   Several
"classes" were given and a few individuals were also educated in the
strongest terms to NOT walk on the remaining individuals of this
subspecies. Were these the "docents".   Contain this situation.please!!!
If we had the money we would place armed guards there immediately."

Since Glassberg's announcement (action), there has evidently  been a steady
stream of watchers to the area to get their trophy photo of the insect.
(And this is as expected as this was allegedly the reason the location was
divulged - so the watchers could go "watch".)  Collectors are often
inferred to be - evil collectors.   Well, here we have a perfect example
of - evil watchers.  But they are only following the lead of one who spends
days in endangered species habitat trampling marsh and (bug?) to get their
own trophy photograph.

In the above quote, Bob's remark of "Contain this situation.please!!!"  was
directed to one Robert Kelley who is apparently now one of Jeff's main
functionaries in regard to the NABA version of helping this butterfly.
Here is Dr. Kelley's response.

"It would seem that the State Park people need to fence off that area ASAP,
and I will be contacting Renate Skinner, the regional biologist to see if
that can be done."

Why a fence?  To keep the _watchers_ out and off the plants.  Why are they
there?  Because Jeff Glassberg told them exactly where to go.  Who is the
fence trying to keep out?   NABA members?  Who is wanting a fence?  Kelly,
a NABA leader.

I seem to remember an old story that went around years ago about another
fence.  This one was installed by Jeff himself, if my memory serves me
correctly, to keep "collectors" away from a Mitchell's Satyr colony.   Now
we need another fence to keep "watchers" (not poachers) off the only known
Miami Blue site.   Lesson.  It is people in general who are bad, not the
avenue they choose to interact with leps.   There are just as many "evil
watchers" as there are "evil collectors".   Actually, that is likely not
true as there are 4 or 5 or 10 times as many watchers as collectors.   By
sheer expediential numbers there are more bad apples in any bigger bunch.
Conversely, there are as many good guy collectors, breeders, etc as there
are good buy watchers.  However, at this point the reality is that the main
thing (by far) butterfly needs help being protected from are those who want
to watch them.

Ron Gatrelle

PS  Listing this butterfly as "endangered" will not stop this watching
danger.  The colony is already protected from collectors as it is located
in a Fl State Park.







 
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