Values

Wednesday. July 27, 2022

I’m raking the ground and planning to grow plants. Outside planting opportunities became real only weeks ago after an extended winter in our local growing season. I’m no serious or talented gardener, but wishing to spread wildflower seeds. I have a package of new seeds that should germinate quickly and attract insects that pollinate.

I want to help the magnificent Monarch Butterflies, which have landed on the endangered species list. The Butterflies’ natural habitats and food sources are severely reduced by an increasing human population and associated property developments that eliminate their critical survival elements.

The plight of those beautiful insects has me recalling many times that I’ve quietly and patiently watched them fluttering, landing, and taking off. Besides their beauty, the butterflies are admirable little beings, tough enough to migrate on the wing over thousands of miles annually.

My wildflowers will come up a little later than I would have hoped, but until yesterday’s news about the Monarchs, I wasn’t thinking much about them, bees, or other insects critical to the natural environment. Today, I’ve tried unsuccessfully to imagine living in a world unable to host the pollinating insects that have forever been part of our lives.

There are many species. Saving them all seems essential in the present and for the future.

Dear Friends: I’ll create a photo journey of progress in this endeavor. Diana