In the last few weeks, I've been applying my Medicine Art practice to butterflies. Medicine Art is a process that opens the doors of creative healing to anyone, any age, any ability. My intention is to use my creative fire to forge a stronger connection between me and butterflies. Here are some Medicine Art projects with and for butterflies that anyone can practice.
Agenda:
1. Set butterfly intentions
2. Collect photos of butterflies
2. Collect photos of butterflies
3. Educate myself
4. Transformative unity with butterflies
5. Prepare to create butterfly habitat
6. Butterfly craft
7. Host a Butterfly Party
8. Other actions to help butterflies
1. Set butterfly intentions:
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| Cabbage White butterfly |
I am woefully ignorant of the butterflies in my garden - I want to get to know them better, and find out how to support them best. My research says that butterflies need three basic kinds of support from me: Food, habitat, and advocacy.
I wasn't even sure why butterflies matter in an ecosystem, but I found out that butterflies and caterpillars provide food for birds, small mammals, and other insects; they are usually found in large numbers at specific times of the year, and so are an essential part of the food chain for many species.
Also, butterflies are important pollinators because they travel long distances; they spread pollen further than honey bees, who stay close to their hive. This promotes genetic variation and disease resistance.
Now I can set a complete intention for how I want to heal our relationship, and some ideas for how I might start to do that:
I intend to get to know the butterflies in my garden so I can greet them by name, offer them hospitality (food and water), and sanctuary (shelter and nesting spots). I also intend to share any information I gather with my human community, so as to build a better connection between people and the pollinators who support us.
2. Collect photos of butterflies:
My first intention is to get to know the butterflies in my yard, and so I began by exploring: When I set an intention to "explore for butterflies," my time in the garden takes on a new kind of focus: It becomes a meditation - I move slower and look with new eyes (look like a little kid). I began to collect photos to ID.
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| American Lady? |
- American Lady Butterflies have a wingspan of 1.75 to 2.5 inches.
- The coloring of this species is a brilliant orange with dark borders and markings and white and purple spots. The underwings have an ornate pattern similar to a cobweb.
- American Lady butterflies are nervous and will often take flight at the slightest disturbance.
- Look for American Lady butterflies in western Oregon near open landscapes with leafy, flowering plants.
- The Cabbage White is a species of very common white butterflies found everywhere in Asia and Europe, though their exact place of origin is yet unknown.
- These are small- to medium-sized butterflies found flying in numbers especially during the late spring and the summer months.
- The wings of the male display a creamy white coloration with a single black spot on the primary wings, whereas the female is rather pale yellowish, with two black spots placed somewhere around the center.
- Their flight pattern is rapid and erratic
3. Educate myself:
Butterflies have been declining in numbers for over 50 years. Why? I assume that the reason I see so few butterflies in my garden is something to do with human habits, but what specifically are we doing? Well - pretty much everything we do is dangerous for butterflies. Butterflies are collateral damage in the human way of life. We are destroying their habitat to build more human infrastructure, and biting the hand that feeds us. Factors in the decline are-
- Climate change and severe weather: Our warmer autumns are the biggest problem for butterflies. Butterflies rely on specific conditions and ecological cues to complete their delicate life cycle. Severe weather affects their food sources, and temperature changes, wind, and rainfall can destroy their eggs and habitat.
- Habitat loss and deforestation: Many butterflies have adapted to rely on very specific plants for food or laying their eggs. If their habitat is destroyed or changed, the population can quickly decline. Butterflies are often the first indicator that an ecosystem is facing issues.
- Urbanization: Many species of butterflies migrate long distances but can't reach their home to reproduce because of new buildings and walls. Due to these physical barriers, many butterfly species may become extinct in the next few years.
- Pesticides: Herbicides kill plants that the butterflies rely on, and pesticides that contain neonicotinoids harm the butterfly. These chemicals can linger in the soil where they enter the water cycle, threatening butterflies everywhere.
4. Transformative unity with butterflies:
I made this Medicine Art card to share my thoughts:
The life cycle of a butterfly is a beautiful natural example of transformation; from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly - this dramatic metamorphosis is awe-inspiring.
These small and fragile creatures bring such delicate beauty and joy wherever they flit. They are a symbol of freedom, hope, and the reborn soul.
May we be as gentle as a butterfly with our footsteps on the earth; may we find the power to transform our lives, and be creative forces in the world.
In chaos theory, the Butterfly Effect refers to the possibility that small changes can cause large differences.
Let us have faith that we can effect great changes for the better with the flapping of our tiny butterfly wings.
4. Prepare to create butterfly habitat:
The number one thing we can do to help butterflies is to create habitat for them. This is a pretty big project if you are going to do it right, so let's start with some preparation.
I use the French cooking phrase mis en place (pronounced mi zɑ̃ ˈplas) to describe the Medicine Art way to prepare; it means "putting in place," and refers to the setup, chopping, and arranging you do before cooking, and also a state of mind of being prepared: Do all your preparation, including preparing yourself, before moving on to creation.
Take a few days or weeks to gather your supplies and clear an area for a butterfly garden. Then set an intention to honor butterflies by giving them what they needs to survive. Create a love connection.
Here are some mis en place steps for butterfly habitat from the Student Conservation Association:
Pick the Perfect Location: Sunlight is the key. Most native plants that attract butterflies will require full sun for at least half of the day. When considering a location, you also want to look at the quality of the soil. If an area is particularly windy, you can plant larger shrubs as a windbreak. If your soil is acidic, rocky, or mostly clay, you may want to consider adding compost.
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| Douglas spirea |
Choose the Right Plants: Research the plants that grow naturally in your region. Not only are native butterflies more likely to be attracted to a garden filled with the native plants they are familiar with, but in some cases non-native plants can actually be harmful to butterflies and other pollinators. Download a list of pollinator-friendly native plants in your region.
Butterflies need two types of plants - host plants and nectar plants. Host plants, where butterflies lay their eggs, are vital to the butterfly lifecycle and will encourage butterflies to linger and explore. Nectar plants are the flowers that adult butterflies feed on. Generally, any common native wildflowers will be a great source of nectar for butterflies. Be sure to pick a few that bloom throughout the spring and summer to provide nectar throughout the season. Primarily, butterflies are attracted to red, orange, yellow, and purple flowers.
Plan the Plant Orientation: When you plant your flowers, you will want to clump them by species and color. This makes the colors easier to see and butterflies will be more likely to utilize them.
Find butterfly furniture: Choose a few flat rocks for sunning and plan some cool, shady spots for resting to help butterflies regulate their temperature. While not completely necessary to include, some butterfly gardens have bird baths or other water features that allow butterflies to “puddle” and obtain hydration and mineral nutrients. Birdbaths and benches also provide a sturdy, sheltered place for caterpillars to pupate.
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| Milkweed in my garden |
Butterflies need two types of plants - host plants and nectar plants. Host plants, where butterflies lay their eggs, are vital to the butterfly lifecycle and will encourage butterflies to linger and explore. Nectar plants are the flowers that adult butterflies feed on. Generally, any common native wildflowers will be a great source of nectar for butterflies. Be sure to pick a few that bloom throughout the spring and summer to provide nectar throughout the season. Primarily, butterflies are attracted to red, orange, yellow, and purple flowers.
Plan the Plant Orientation: When you plant your flowers, you will want to clump them by species and color. This makes the colors easier to see and butterflies will be more likely to utilize them.
Find butterfly furniture: Choose a few flat rocks for sunning and plan some cool, shady spots for resting to help butterflies regulate their temperature. While not completely necessary to include, some butterfly gardens have bird baths or other water features that allow butterflies to “puddle” and obtain hydration and mineral nutrients. Birdbaths and benches also provide a sturdy, sheltered place for caterpillars to pupate.
5. Butterfly craft:
As I said earlier, my intention with Medicine Art is to use my creative fire to forge a stronger connection between me and the subject. All of the steps up until now have been working on me to form connections, and now I'm ready to honor my subject with my creativity. This might be in the form of a painting, or a poem, or, in this case, some educational craftivism. I've done this project with both kids and adults. We made two versions: Those with rice paper and those with watercolor paper (which are hardier and can hang outside).
Note: The trick to any painting project with young kids is to have all the supplies ready, act quickly, and stop when they loose interest.
1. Cut a rectangle of paper and fold in half. Cut a simplified butterfly shape.
6. Host a Butterfly Party:
The culmination of a Medicine Art project is to give thanks, and share. At the end of a Medicine Art process, I feel a great gratitude for the subject.Yesterday two friends came over and we talked about butterflies and butterfly habitat, and made paper butterflies to hang in our neighborhoods, as an act of craftivism. We hung this tag at the bottom of each butterfly, with a QR code, to encourage others to plant natives.
7. Other actions to help butterflies:
1. Reduce Your Impact: All the things you do to reduce your carbon footprint also helps butterflies. Do NOT use pesticides or insecticides in your garden! Doing so will kill the butterflies you’ve worked so hard to attract. 2. Advocate for the protection of insects and habitat with the government: Insects are often overlooked in environmental protection, but the laws do work (look at the return of the Fender's Blue butterfly in the Willamette Valley).
3. Support Charities that are working to protect butterflies and their habitats:
Save Our Monarchs is dedicated to saving the iconic Monarch butterfly, which has declined 90% in the last 20 years in North America.
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is a worldwide charity that protects all invertebrates, including butterflies.
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