Discuss: Overseer of Butterflies

I know Robert Michael Pyle personally, having heard him speak and accompanied him on field trips.  (Lucky me!) I have a stack of his beautifully written books (most are autographed) and I hope this year-long quest to see butterflies of the US will be followed by still another book.  I also hope that when he comes to Florida he contacts us at the Atala Chapter of NABA in Palm Beach County.  We would love to join him on one of his butterfly hunts.

For 20 plus years I was a winter wanderer/collector on Baja beaches - the best of my 82 years. I recommend curiosity and poverty as drivers for a great life.

I am an Interior Designer who has abandoned Interior Design. As a profession it is devoted entirely to the destruction of the planet. While there are designers who are trying to design with “green” concepts and “green” materials the truth is there is almost no zero impact way of doing anything beyond walking or riding a horse bareback.

I’ve been an environmentalist since 1954. In 1962 at the age of twelve I tried to face down a bulldozer capping a local wetland and was nearly buried for my trouble. In 1970 I did a 4’ x 8’ painting titled the Pollution Mural in my art teacher’s office. Since then I’ve been researching and involving myself in all manner of things that have nothing to do with Interior Design.

But about four years ago I finally arrived. I started investigating our local government because I felt it was committing environmental crimes. It turns out that none of Canada’s environmental legislation can protect it from its worst enemy - our governments and politicians. There had to be a new way. There was. I started researching the Criminal Code of Canada. It turned out to be a very useful exercise. No one is allowed to kill anyone in Canada with anything - including air pollution emissions. That was the turning point. Now I’m on a mission that will stop quite a number of ill-conceived government initiates in their tracks. In one case I investigated a case of attempted murder where some people were killing their neighbour - a retired nurse with barrel burning emissions. That is now a criminal investigation and I have a petition before parliament to ban barrel burning on a national basis. Soon I will launch another one to have all of our dumpsites made to conform to proper standards.

Actually there is no end to where this can lead and it’s exciting to boot. So far it hasn’t paid a cent. But when you are doing what you’re meant to be doing, you find a way to continue regardless of the perilous state of your finances.

My work unfortunately requires an internet connection to succeed. That’s the one really sad thing.

I wish Robert you had a good camera to take with you. Some of the sights you are going to see would be better served with a camera. Not for the butterflies so much as the habitat.

Most lepidoterists when they publish work have their butterfly shots published but the habitat and “lifestyle” shots that are so valuable are lost to the public. Eco-system information is so critical to saving species.

Central and Southern Ontario where I live is almost devoid of too many species that were profuse when I was growing up. A walk through a forested area or a field is now like a walk through a museum diorama.

Certainly there is still life but most of it is composed of invasive species. The Butterfly count is nothing to what it was and many species are just gone or seriously depleted.

Robert’s trip reminds me of the African Transect partially sponsored by National Geographic some years ago. Robert, get a camera.

Overseer of Butterflies, we wish you the very best Big Year ever! And yes, get a good camera to document all the wonderful tings that you will see and do in the coming year. I know Lana (post 1) and am jealous of course that she has signed copies of your books. Visit all of us in NABA, Broward Chapter and Miami Blus Chapter, too. We would love to show you the lovely rarities that are hanging on by that slender silk to their very existence.

I certainly agree with Robert Pyle—for those of us lucky enough to be “retired”, we can choose how to spend those precious days left to us.  Over the working years, I mutated from “shell collector” to “bird-watcher” and native plants and butterflies.
Having worked for government, I am now free to have an opinion and voice it—hence I became a full time environmental advocate. It’s time to make sure those woods, trails and ecosystems are their for future generations.  Such fun!

Last year I worked on rearing Yellow Admiral Butterflies. Find the caterpillar on a stinging nettle, bring it inside, feed it, watch it hatch and let it go. I managed to rear around 200 Yellow Admirals. The problem with butterflies, and birds, is people see one and think everything is OK. It is not. Various species can easily die out in an area just due to, in the Yellow Admiral case, no stinging nettles. Looking forward to the book. But we can help keep butterflies now.

Hear Hear!!!  Good choice… I wish you sunny days (with some rain at nite) and many butterflies.. it will be informative and interesting to find out how much habitat restoration might be affecting the butterflies in the US and Canada.

Happy trails..

After reading Mr. Pyle’s article I am a changed woman. He has opened my eyes to the miriad of new “jobs” for which I can volunteer and also be compensated. I realize the compensation comes in the form of self-awareness, pure pleasure, new knowledge and interactions with butterflies on a more intimate level. I love to hold the instars and feel their silky covering. They feel as soft as the old worn security blanket I dragged around as a toddler. Last year, my first in the venture, I raised and released Monarch butterflies. I became an official Monarch Way Station too. I was compensated royally by the beauty of my garden and the companionship of butterflies, my fledgling Monarch among them. As I enter my 70th year, I know all of this is leading me somewhere. I have yet to disover where, but then I do love living in anticipation. Let’s banish all crystal balls and make each day a surprise. You are going to have an amazing year Robert.
Safe journey and above all, have fun.  Truly you are a fortunate man. Kindly keep us in the loop.
Phoebe Oshirak, Lake Geneva, WI