April is Butterfly Month

[Anne Kilmer]

Ron Gatrelle wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Anne Kilmer" <viceroy at GATE.NET>
> To: "leps-l" <leps-l at lists.yale.edu>; "tils"
> <tiLS-leps-talk at yahoogroups.com>; "Nature Potpourri"
> <naturepotpourri at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, March 03, 2003 4:26 PM
> Subject: April is Butterfly Month
> 
> 
> 
>>jeb bush
>>governor OF THE state OF florida
>>Florida Butterfly and Butterfly Gardening Month
>>WHEREAS, butterflies play important roles as pollinators of flowers and
>>
> as
> 
>>indicators of the health of the environment; and
>>WHEREAS, people are enthralled by the beauty, grace and tranquility of
>>butterflies and are fascinated by their amazing transformations from
>>caterpillar to chrysalis to adult butterfly; and
>>WHEREAS, the great state of Florida is home to more than one hundred
>>
> fifty
> 
>>kinds of butterflies, many of them found nowhere else in the world; and
>>WHEREAS, by planting certain native plants and flowers, gardeners can
>>
> enjoy
> 
>>the wonderful diversity of butterflies in their own backyard, and
>>
> actually
> 
>>increase the populations of many butterflies;
>>NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jeb Bush, Governor of the state of Florida, do hereby
>>extend greetings and best wishes to all observing April 2003, as Florida
>>Butterfly
>>and Butterfly Gardening Month.
>>IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I
>>have hereunto set my hand
>>and caused the Great Seal of
>>the state of Florida to be affixed
>>at Tallahassee, the Capital, this
>>26th day of February in the year
>>of our Lord two thousand three.
>>
>>This is the text of Jeb's proclamation, and I'm sure we'll all have a
>>lot of fun with it.
>>So ... what's your state doing for butterflies? ;-)
>>
> 
> Doing what Florida is doing.   Giving them lip service and little real
> service.  


well, let's see if we can make it mean more than that. now's our chance, 
after all.

 Here is South Carolina the State just loves to grade bare the
> shoulders on rural roads to make sure no "weeds" come up to bother anyone.
> Until states start "caring" and doing something to actually protect "weeds"
> and "woods" we can all forget about butterflies being around in 200 years.
> Very few butterflies "live" in gardens.  Sure if there is habitat near by,
> they will come to the flowers for nectar.  But get rid of the vacant weedy
> lots, the patches of "scrub" woods, and the other eyesores of urban America
> and we can kiss them all goodbye.  My prejudice is that the same people who
> form the garden clubs to grow butterfly attracting flowers are the same
> ones who raise holy hell about the unsightly weeds on lots and roadsides.
> Mostly well off people with big houses an little knowledge of the real
> natural world. 


true, alas, but they're teachable.
A bright spot in my checkered career ... a bug talk I gave to the Hobe 
Sound Garden Club (if they were poorer they'd have to live in Palm 
Beach) ... at the end of which I was hugged by the be-pearled audience, 
and one declared an intention of "having my gardener go buy some weeds 
for the butterflies." I gave them Carl Terwilliger's phone number; he 
grows those weeds. Anyway, we keep digging until we hit China.

  Sure, I know this is not true across the board, and that
> some informed gardeners (like Anne) are trying to speak for the thorns and
> vines, but there is a huge battle yet to be waged.   Thanks, Jeb - I guess.
> 
> Ron Gatrelle
> TILS president
> Charleston, SC - USA
> http://www.tils-ttr.org
> 


An endless supply of windmills, Sancho at my side ... wheeee!
Anne Kilmer
South Florida





 
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