Last weekend, the Darling Spouse and I traveled to the Schenectady Museum of Innovation and Science to visit a butterfly house they have on display until April 19. They had built a temporary structure right in the middle of the main room, complete with plants and an “airlock” to prevent escapees. The house seemed to be a small greenhouse, perhaps donated temporarily for the display. Close quarters, in any case.
Come with me, below the orange cocoon, and I'll tell you more.
There were quite a few butterflies loose in the house. A nice collection of monarchs, painted ladies, red admirals and swallowtails; all native to the US, no tropicals. A small cocoon shelter was set up with explanations of the process and lots of empty cocoons.
They had arranged a raised “garden” bed, complete with native plants for the critters to perch on, though none were currently in bloom. Lots of signs, though, explaining why each plant was important (nectar, caterpillar food, etc.). Several plates loaded with fruit were scattered around to provide a snack for the butterflies. One neat trick I hadn’t seen before was to soak a bath scrubbie with “nectar” and hang it up for them to drink from.
Somewhere between 10 and a bazillion small children were racing around the main part of the museum but all the ones in the butterfly house were well-behaved. There seemed to be at least one bus-load of children, perhaps a school trip, and several family groups. Signs all over the place warned against touching the butterflies and a high school aged gentleman was attempting to maintain some sort of order.
We spent quite a while in that little house, trying to get good pics in bad light, waiting to see where, or on whom, they would land and generally acting like any given pair of 5-year-olds. It was great fun.
In fact, we spent such a long time in there that it gave me a chance to notice something I was quite taken aback by. Way too many of the kids were afraid of the butterflies. Yes, you heard me correctly. They were afraid of the butterflies.
Specifically, most were afraid the butterflies would land on them. I suppose that’s to be expected. How often does one land on you out in the world? Having tens of butterflies swirling around you might be a bit disconcerting to young kids.
One young lady, however, no more than eight years old in my estimation, was terrified of them. She behaved well in spite of her fear but to see this beautiful little girl fearfully cringing away from an insect that could be mortally wounded by a careless swat was almost physically painful to me.
She was not the only one. Another child was genuinely afraid they would bite her. I overheard the conversation, the parent explaining they didn't even have teeth, so I showed her a picture of Darling Spouse with a butterfly on his nose that I had just taken (Butterflies love him. We've never been to a butterfly house where he didn't end up practically covered in them. I think he’s just naturally sweet. ;) ) I don’t know if it helped. I hope so.
It seems that kids don’t have the same connection to nature that us old farts did when we were their age. I know that’s not news to most of us, but when did they start becoming afraid of it? Shouldn't kids know by the time they reach 8 years old that butterflies don’t bite? To me, that’s almost like not knowing water is wet. Yes, these were isolated incidents and, no, I have no idea what these children’s backgrounds were. The majority of the kids were OK and having a great time. I felt sad, all the same, for those two little girls.
I thought about it more later, after we were home, and it became troubling on a higher level. People only value things they are invested in. Will kids be invested in the natural world? If not, what incentive will they have to protect it when their turn comes? Too many adults have no investment now, when it matters so much. Down the line, when these children are grown, it will matter more.
What is being done to educate our children about this world full of bugs and butterflies? About snakes and lizards and mountain goats and lions and grasshoppers? Will they care about these creatures we share the planet with?
Will they be more afraid of them or for them?