Albany Tribune
Butterflies: More than a symbolic part of our lives

1998-07-30, Albany Tribune, By Clara-Rae Genser

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 pesticides 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 whale 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 bflyspirit7@aol.com.

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.

Herald and News: by Lee Beach

Millennium Gathering to Stress Peace, Spirituality for the Year 2000

Butterfly release planned during gathering

Herald and News August 16, 1998 By Lee Beach H&N Staff Writer

Color, light and new life--children of Klamath Falls are invited to be a part of this image in a celebration of releasing butterflies against a backdrop of rainbows--freeing monarchs and painted ladies during an event sponsored by Tree Island Millennium Gathering during its three-day conference Aug. 18-20.

The gathering is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Purvine Field, the end of Dan O'Brian Street, at the Oregon Institute of Technology. Butterfly event organizer Alan Moore of the Butterfly Gardeners Association hopes the occasion will raise the consciousness of children and adults to the interconnectedness of all life.

"The butterfly is an environmental indicator, a sensitive species which reacts to changes in the environment such as global warming or destruction of the rainforest," explained Moore. "More than that however, it is a symbol of transformation greater than the biological metaphor. It is a healing and life-affirming symbol."

The date of the release coincides with the 500th day before the turn of the millennium. The Tree Island Millennium Gathering is in Klamath Falls planning events and programs in anticipation of the turn of the century with hopes for global peace and unity.

There will be 150 butterflies for individual children to release against a backdrop of rainbows created by conceptual artist Fred Stern using water spray from fire department pumper trucks, according to organizers. It is suggested that children arrive about 4:30 p.m. to watch the preparations, wear bathing suits, and come with a wish to make when they set their butterfly free.

Butterflies were donated, with 50 painted ladies from Carolina Biological and 50 monarchs from Magical Beginnings, and 50 more painted ladies from Moore. Each of the painted ladies will be in separate cups and the monarchs will be in origami pyramids. Children will also receive a wand with a rainbow and butterfly on it or a butterfly pin.

While this particular gathering is focusing on issues of peace, Moore makes the point that "Butterfly Gardeners association prefers to remain neutral, not endorsing or taking stands. We see a universality in the symbol of the butterfly, and we are encouraging people to find their own groups with their own issues."

Nevertheless, because of his current work with this group, Moore has been invited by the Global Initiative, a world peace organization based in Solothum, to help present a World Peace candle to Mr. Kofi Annan, the U.N. Secretary General, on Saturday, July 20, 1999, at the United Nations.

Moore was a landscape gardener in Allentown, Pennsylvania who knew little about butterflies until August of 1993. A friend had invited him to see his butterfly garden. "I'd never seen a place like that. I was totally fascinated. I started thinking there should be places like this for kids, and all sorts of people." By that evening, he had written a set of goals for his new organization and shortly thereafter began devoting all his time to butterfly related projects.

His Butterfly Gardeners distributed butterfly growing kits to dozens of classrooms, planted butterfly gardens in schoolyards and other public places, and set up events where children could release butterflies they had raised from caterpillars.

"The number one hobby in this country is gardening. It's such an easy transition--you add the butterfly and you have a wonderful therapeutic environment," Moore said.

The BGA has also promoted butterfly gardens in nursing homes and prisons and Moore gives accounts of how learning to handle the delicate creatures has touched abused children and hardened criminals.

He is seeking sponsors in the area for a program of breaking the pattern of abuse by teaching children through the careful handling of this creature. He can be contacted at the butterfly release event. Anyone with questions or who is interested in helping sponsor the butterfly release can contact more at 510-528-7730.

Moore has since relocated to Berkeley, and the BGA is hoping to bring together a coalition of environmental, peace, faith, spiritual, and millennium groups to organize a Great Millennium Peace Caravan for the summer of 1999. The theme will be transformation through forgiveness.

The 30th Anniversary and Festival of Woodstock will be a major destination, as well as the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Observance in Washington, DC and the World Peace Festival in Armenia, New York.