Bad News for Butterflies

Butterfly by www.frontendeveloper.com

The news about butterflies is not good.

In 2011 the BBC reported that 72% of the butterfly species population in the UK were in decline (see here). The report is in that about 10 percent of all species are now threatened with extinction in Europe (see here) and a lot of this has happened in the last 15 years.

Butterfly by www.frontendeveloper.com

This year a post by the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental studies reports that the Monarch butterfly is in decline and this might be caused by the use of Monsanto genetically modified crops. (see here) Weed killers cause decline of butterflies is reported in California (see here).

Hoping to save the butterflies and bees is a reason ThisGardenLady discourages the use of weed killers, pesticides or anything toxic on the lawn or in the garden and why TheGardenLady wrote the article about trees that are host plants for butterfly and moth larva. The news of the decline of butterfly populations around the world is so alarming.  Can one imagine the world without the charm and magic of butterflies? To me it will be a sad place.

It makes me think of that sad anthology of art and poetry written by children of the Holocaust (see here) entitled ” I Never Saw Another Butterfly. ” based on the poem “The Butterfly” by Pavel Friedman:

“The Butterfly”

The last, the very last,

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.

Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing

against a white stone. . . .

Such, such a yellow

Is carried lightly ‘way up high.

It went away I’m sure because it wished to

kiss the world good-bye.

For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,

Penned up inside this ghetto.

But I have found what I love here.

The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut branches in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.

Butterflies don’t live in here,

in the ghetto.

Pavel Friedman 4.6.1942

He wrote “that butterflies don’t live in here, in the ghetto.” I hope that someone down the road won’t be writing that butterflies don’t live here, on this planet.  So that we never have to say or hear that, plant your gardens to encourage butterflies. Please!