Community Folk

Date: 7/29/98 10:24:52 AM Pacific Daylight Time

From: CRGENSER

   by Clara-Rae Genser -Albany Review Columnist
 
 

     Butterflies, those beautiful, delicate creatures that emerge from furry
little worms, have long been a symbols of many things:  love, peace, harmony,
beauty, to peoples throughout the world.  Alan Moore has sent me many stories
and articles about what butterflies have meant to people, and of their rather
magical appearance in times of stress, of sadness,  of mourning.

 So it is not surprising that the butterfly has come to symbolize all of
Moore’s beliefs. hopes and dreams for the world, particularly Peace.  Thus it
is the reason why he founded the Butterfly Gardeners Association, and has
dedicated his life to the organization and to the things it stands for.

 And it is not surprising that he is now asking people to back The Butterfly
Initiative, subtitled “Saving the World with Butterflies”  “The butterfly
initiative is a wondrous and rare adventure.  It is practical, uplifting and
inspiring.  Butterfly gardening can be a catalyst to a wide range of positive
activities.  These include projects from environmental education to violence
prevention; from beautification of our backyards to habitat preservation in
our parks, and from rehabilitation programs for handicapped children to
therapy programs for prison populations.  Because of their astounding
transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis (pupa) to their incredible
color spangled elegance, they can be the symbol for mankind’s own unfolding
into more caring and loving beings.”

 And why the Initiative? He explains that also:

 “Butterflies are beautiful.  Butterflies are inspiring.  They can be quite
magical, helping us to connect with nature, as well as with our spiritual
selves.  Yet butterflies are disappearing everywhere right before our very
eyes.  When uncaring human activities get out of hand, it is always the
butterflies that take the first and most profound blow.  Studies have shown
that when rainforests are destroyed, or local temperatures rise, or chemicals
and pesticidies contaminate our environment, or natural habitats are lost, it
is almost always the butterfly that suffers most.  For these reasons they
serve as environmental indicators, and stewardship of butterflies becomes
linked to such serious issues as habitat destruction, pesticide misuse, global
warming, and deforestation.  A recent news report linked butterfly declines to
a corresponding decline in bee reproduction rates, and predicted that in three
years pollination may become the world’s number one problem.  No butterflies
and bees, very little pollination.  Need I say more.”

 And he explains how the whole idea of  the Butterfly Gardeners Association
came about.  He tells off being invited to a butterfly garden at the Green
Lane Nature Center near Allentown, Pennsylvania where he then lived.  “When we
arrived there were hundreds o butterflies flitting about a profusion o
fragrant flowers, shrubs and herbs.  I suddenly felt connected to nature
through the wonder of all that was around me.  Something was stirring my
deepest emotions.....I left that garden determined to create gardens like this
for children everywhere.  Beautiful butterfly gardens for children off all
ages...”

 He speaks of listening to a tape he had recently made on the way home, with
songs by John Lennon, Joan Baez, Moody Blue and other 60s artists.  “I
suddenly realized that there were butterflies in the music that I never heard
before.”  It was, he says, like an epiphany.  “A thousand lights all lit at
once.  My whole life history lashed before my eyes.  I suddenly had a
brainstorm of an idea to use the butterfly as a symbol for the environment.
It would be better than the “save the whales campaign”, I told my self, you
can’t take a what to a schoolyard, but you can plant a butterfly garden there.
Everybody could attract butterflies to their homes, schools and parks, and
have a personal experience with nature like I had.”

 He speaks of  having worked in many organizations, which made him realize how
difficult this would be.  But he had a feeling of  “great sacredness and
urgency.”  He went home and told his wife about it, told her he was leaving
his job to do it and “I went from self-employed to unemployed in what seemed
like an instant.”

 Although his wife supported him or some time, in the end it did end his
marriage.  And he has, indeed dedicated himself to his vision.  He has spoken
in schools and to organizations.  He has organized “butterfly releases” where
school children have nurtured caterpillars until their transformation into
butterflies, and then have participated in “butterfly releases” freeing
hundreds of the lovely creatures at once.

 Moore has also become a part of a large number of people who not only believe
in the spirituality and symbolism off the butterfly, but have written about it
and made it an important part of their lives.  This circle also includes
people who find other parts o nature: rainbows, birds, trees and others,
equally important and inspiring.  He speaks of Julia Butterfly, the woman who
made her home in a giant redwood tree to try to save the 200 year old wonder;
of Norie Huddle, who has written a beautiful book simply named Butterfly, and
who is working with him on a book about all off the wonderful stories people
have told him about their experiences with butterflies.  And he has given me
copies of notes, email and letters from people who were inspired by his vision
and supported it.

 Moore has recently signed a contract with a publisher for the book, and is
happy with what is going on in this field.  He is hoping to get a very
widespread support for his Butterfly Initiative, and invites people to contact
him about it.  He may be reached at 510-528-7730, or his email is
bflyspirit@aol.com.

                                                                * * * * *

 There is so much in the reams of information Moore has sent to me, both by
email and letter.  I am sure that anyone calling or emailing him will enjoy
his answers.
 
 

 And, as always, I invite all off you to give me your input: interesting
people, events, organizations, etc.  Please write to me at 555 Pierce
St.,#443, Albany, CA 94706 or call 525-4585.  My email is crgenser@aol.com.

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Correction   Moore recently received a draft of a contract from a California
publisher that he feels comfortable with and shares his concerns and ideals.
He has not yet signed a contract.

liberty@woodstocknation.org

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