SPENCER: Lessons from a butterfly

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Most of us, especially children, enjoy the fluttering of a butterfly.

Their whimsical movement, their colourful wings and their ability to transform from caterpillar, to cocoon, and their emergence of the butterfly taking flight. I still remember as a child, collecting the caterpillar, filling it with sticks and leaves and watching it turn and transform.

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At my business we run a Kids Empowerment Camp. We learn and promote compassion, respect, and loving-kindness for all and those themes will be infused in our activities. Our theme this year is connection. The ways and influences we can communicate and learn from each other including other beings, animals, and our environment.

One of our discussions is on the importance of pollinators, especially the butterfly. There are over 28,000 species of butterflies throughout the world. Butterflies are called the wild indicators of an ecosystem. Butterflies are sensitive to environmental threats such as habitat destruction and climate change. Behavioural changes of a butterfly in an ecosystem or a sudden decline in the population of butterflies in the environment can be a warning of an impending environmental calamity or possible habitat loss for other animals.

As plant pollinators, butterflies visit flowers for nectar-feeding, and pollen grains often get attached to their bodies. As they fly from flower to flower, they often deposit the pollen on another plant, allowing fertilization to occur.

Did you know butterflies help the environment?

Some species of butterflies help to reduce air pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. High levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide contribute to global warming. Examples of these butterflies are monarch butterflies and caterpillars.

We can assist the preservation of butterflies by first validating that butterflies are an important part of the ecosystem. To conserve these insects, humans need to take deliberately action to minimize pollution by avoiding or minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers, avoid clearing vegetation and forests since they are the immediate homes or habitats of butterflies. We can also make sure we replace trees cut down with planting specific native plants that attract butterflies. We can also look to reduce carbon emissions to the atmosphere such us utilizing electric motor or hybrid cars, drive less, plant gardens, buy local and eat organic food, among other ways. Engaging in these activities can assist us to lessen the carbon footprint, and in turn, preserve the butterflies in the ecosystem.

So how can we learn from these important and beautiful creatures?

Everyone and everything are always changing. Like the caterpillar to the butterfly, change is a part of life.

We all have talents and skills in us, waiting to transform!

Sometimes life can be a struggle (like a butterfly trying to emerge from a cocoon) and we can do struggle.

Sometimes struggle helps us grow and change. When the butterfly emerges, it struggles to get out, but this struggle assists the butterfly to be able to fly.

We are stronger than we think sometimes.

We all have unique colourful selves.

We might be small but we are mighty and important.

So, remember that change isn’t just one moment or one life event or even just one big revelation or a-ha moment. Transformation occurs in stages and phases and over time, with each development we add depth, texture and multi-dimension to our beings. It is a process of metamorphosis, that cannot be rushed or hurried but rather needs to be honoured.