Butterfly Gardeners Association
07-22-97
Dear members, future sponsors, and friends
Just four years ago one man's vision inspired many others across the country to look at the butterfly In a new way, as a symbol of a new Earth consciousness that could help promote environmental stewardship, education and conservation, even world peace. Since that day the BGA has operated on a shoe-string budget, and has galvanized support from a host of sources, including educators, businesses, politicians, children, adults, and senior citizens. The organization has achieved its many goals only with the support and endless effects of hundreds of volunteers and contributions of butterfly plants and supplies from the Lehigh Valley landscape Industry. iFor this reason we feel that every event is nothing short of a miracle. flow could anyone have ever suspected that such a simple, beautiful creature could have touched so many? The butterfly is opening doors as well as hearts. it has motivated so many people Into working together peacefully to save the only home they know, Earth. It is truly a happening birthed in love, a miraculous transformation that could only be seen on the wings of a butterfly.
We may ". . . come to see them as embodying all the beauty and complexity of nature itself. It is said that a butterfly can, with a flap of Its wings, change the world . . . that the ripple it sends out can spawn a hurricane."
"Rarely It ever do we get a chance to restore to nature even a tiny part of what we have taken away."
National Geographic Magazine Dec 93.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead (quote from origination of earth Day in 1969)
BGA Butterfly Accomplishments
On November 11, 1997 the BGA will speak at a Friends of the Monarchs meeting at Pacific Grove, CA\a. during the fall monarch migration.
On October 31-November 2 the BGA will attend the Bioneers Conference of environmental visionaries sponsored by the Collective Heritage Foundation, at the Presidio in San Francisco. Speakers will include Amory Lovins, Tom Hayden, and a Hopi elder. The conference will close with a prayer for the Earth during a BGA butterfly release. Alan Moore will read the Earth Proclamation.
On August 17, 1997 the BGA will do a butterfly release at the Seventh Annual Amenia World Peace Festival as part of the "May Peace Prevail on Earth" prayer. The event is sponsored by the World Peace Prayer Society.
On August 15, 1997 the BGA will be at the Kiva in Bethel, New York.
On August 16, 1997 the BGA will be at the Woodstock Festival for a butterfly release in Bethel, New York.
On August 5, 1997 the BGA has been invited to take part in the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Memorial Observance for the fifty-second anniversary of the first use of atomic weapons. The event, sponsored by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Committee, will take place at the Lincoln Memorial at 6 P.M. and will feature a butterfly release and a variety of speakers and performances, including survivors from the two cities. The event will proceded by a small butterfly release and ceremony in Lafayette Peace Park, across from the Whitehouse, at 4 P.M. by the BGA. Those attending will march at 5 P.M. to the event at the Lincoln Memorial.
On August 5, 1997 the BGA will also take part in an Interfaith Peace Gathering commemorating Hiroshima-Nagasaki at 7:00 P.M. at the New York Buddhist Church at 105 Street & Riverside Drive in Manhattan. The event will focus on "Peace and Harmony through Music and Meditation/Prayer from Various Religious Traditions." The BGA will close the ceremony with a butterfly release after a moment of silent prayer. Dhammapada once said, "In this world hatred has never dispelled hatred. It is the absence of hatred that leads to peace.. This law is ancient and will last forever."
" On June 26, 1997 the BGA organized a release of 800 butterflies for the Earth Summit at the United Nations. Participants included Alan Moore, founder of the BGA; Trina Paulus, author of Hope for the Flowers; George Ripley, founder of environmental Patriots Inc., carrying a giant American nag with a green fringe; two butterfly dancers, and musicians. The butterflies were released at the sound of gongs by Gongmaster Don Conreaux of The Mysterious Tremendum Consort and School World Peace Bell Gardens initiative and Millennium Celebration Project. Alan Moore read the Earth Proclamation.
* On September 9, 1995 the BGA; ran a workshop for teachers at the Trexler Game Preserve on raising butterflies in the classroom. This was part of the BGA; plan for a Butterfly Festival at the Preserve held the following Spring, which broke the attendance record for the facility. The following year on June 7,1997, the second year of the festival, broke the record again.
On October 8. 1995 the BGA planted the largest butterfly garden in the state of Pennsylvania at Bushkill Elementary School and coordinated a large butterfly release with the children and teachers. We also planned an outdoor concert featuring Magpie, Marianne Hill Mindy Rosengarten of NYC, and other local talent.
On October 1, 1995 the BGA participated in the St. Francis of Assess Celebration of Animals at the Cathedral of St. John the Devine in New York City The event ended with a butterfly release and a festival
" In the spring of 1995 the BGA; donated plants to Hugh Mugh Moore Park for a butterfly garden and did a butterfly release for the Canal Festival before a crowd of 8,000 people.
" On Memorial Day 1994, the BGA planted a garden and did a butterfly release on the lower side of Manhattan with earth Celebrations, a local gardening group, and participated In a butterfly parade that visited over 40 area gardens.
For Earthday 1994 the BGA planted a butterfly garden during the event In Barto, Pennsylvania.
In October of 1993 the BGA donated and planted a butterfly garden for the City of Allentown in the flower gardens adjacent to the Rose Gardens.
In August of 1993 was Invited to attend the Garden Writers' Association annual conference in San Francisco.
Other Accomplishments
The BGA has planted a butterfly garden at the Devon House Nursing Home. We also did presentations for local garden clubs, service organizations, senior's groups, schools, and churches. Presentations were also done for the City of New York, Reading Easton, and Harrisburg. The BGA had been invited on the Today's Environment Show with Ed Begley Jr.
Future Projects
" The BGA has been asked by a representative of a major national chain to develop a program for children at risk in the New York City area.
The BGA; has been Invited by Gilda's Club in Manhattan to do a butterfly program for children with cancer and do a butterfly garden on the root . The program will Include musicians, singers, dancing, storytelling, origami, and a butterfly raising workshop. The City of New York and the Central Park Conservancy are Interested In putting a butterfly garden memorial to Gilda Radner In Central Park.
" The BGA; Is planning a series of concerts with people from all over the world right up to the year 2000. They will feature the butterfly as a Symbol for the Millenium with the theme, Planetary Transformation. Butterfly and dolphin laser light shows will be offered. The first concert Is entitled Countdown to the Millenium and will occur this New Year's Eve. Earth Concert 2000 will be an around the world event starting in Australia.
The BGA; will do a series of butterfly releases this summer at a number of festivals, concerts, and peace demonstrations. We plan to do a release at Lafayette Park, across from the White house, August 6, 1997, on our fourth anniversary. This day also marks the 52 anniversary of the first use of an atomic weapon at Hiroshima, Japan.
The BGA; hopes to be plant a butterfly garden at Theresienstadt, and possibly other concentration camp sites, as a memorial to the children that died or were victims of the Nazis during World War II. The children of Theresienstadt, used the butterfly as a symbol of spiritual resistance to their captivity end oppression.
The BGA write a manual on Butterfly Gardening for Seniors which will be printed by the Environmental Alliance for Senior involvement and distributed to 25,000 senior citizen organization leaders throughout the country. The goal of BGA-EASI is to have up to 10,000 gardens planted across America.
" The BGA has been given a preliminary approval to put In a butterfly garden at the State Maximum Security Prison at Graterford and conduct workshops In butterfly gardening therapy. A similar program Is being developed at Penn State for senior citizens by Prof. Bob Snetsinger, chairman of the Entomology Department.
" The BGA; has received Interest in planting a butterfly shaped garden that can be seen from the air at the Lehigh Valley International Airport by passengers taking off and landing. A meeting with an airport official has targeted a possible site. A second national airport site. has been tentatively selected.
The BGA; Is promoting the establishment of a Butterfly Zoo In the Lehigh Valley area.
" The BGA; Is planning a brochure on the butterflies of -astern Pennsylvania and their host plants. The brochure will be used as an Identification and habitat guide.
The BGA Is planning to organize the landscape Industry to help the public know what plants attract butterflies and provide food for their larva. Getting the Industry involved will help achieve our goal of a butterfly garden In every school In the area
" The BGA has been In touch with and received interest from officials about putting a garden in at the White house,
" The BGA's founder Is writing a series of books about the project and will use the proceeds for butterfly conservation and education.
Alan Moore
.Member of the Peace and Justice Commission/City of Berkeley
Butterfly Gardeners Association/Friends of Tree Island
Earth Rainbow Network/Action Coalition for Global Change
1563 Solano Ave. #477
Berkeley, CA 94707
510-528-7730
Email: bflyspirit@aol.com
Email: bflyspirit@aol.com
http://prop1 .org/protest/bga/(Butterfly Gardeners Assoc. )
http://vr3d.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/(Earth Concert 2000)
http://www.motley-focus.com/~timber/essence.html (Jean Houston)