Saturday, April 11, 2009

Butterfly Egg Hunt

This morning, we participated in a different kind of egg hunt-- we searched for Monarch butterfly eggs. The event was sponsored by the Clinton Community Nature Center at Choctaw Trails in West Jackson. Apparently, the fields there house a large collection of milkweed which happens to be the plant that Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on.

It was a glorious morning full of possibility and hope. The sun shown, and the cool wind blew. We ran through open spaces and paid attention to the ground. We searched for milkweed and examined each leaf for the tiny, white eggs. Amazing. Miraculous.

It is now our responsibility to tend the resulting caterpillars. We have instructions. We have the supplies. Now, all we need is time and care and hope. The eggs which result in caterpillars and eventually into butterflies will be ours to release into the world. We will have helped the process, a little. We will have rescued a few butterfly eggs and larvae from fire ants and other predators which are serious threats. In a very small way, we will have aided the earth, the environment-- creation.

What a perfect way to celebrate Holy Saturday and the coming of Easter tomorrow. We were with dear friends-- moms with children as full of possibility as the butterfly eggs.

Happy Easter-- Happy Passover-- Happy Spring.

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