Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Project Looking Through Sees Project Green: Butterflies

The wonderful place of amazing images that is Anna’s site is hosting Project Green. I never had a chance to take part in the previous project, Project Yellow, but I am indebted to Anna for making me so much more aware of all the color around me. Each day on the way to and from work or errands I notice so much more yellow and now green.

Mark’s Project Looking Through continues to be a huge success as well, some amazing photography to admire.

Not wanting to let go of Looking Through and wanting to Be Green on Earth Day I hopefully combined the two.

In March of 2007 The American Museum of Natural History in NYC had an incredible special, interactive exhibit of butterflies.

The exhibit area was full of green. Looking through the green to find the butterflies was like being on a nature hunt, right there on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.






If you didn’t want to pay the big bucks or stand on the long lines you could walk along the outside corridor of the exhibit area and look through. I had to be part of all that was happening inside but did long to be out there when the 100+ degree temperatures and the crush of people became a little overwhelming.





But then you’d have moments like these. To watch this amazing creature eat her lunch was sublime. I got to feed some of her friends but of course the photographer never gets to be in the picture. There was one man there with his two young daughters; they squealed with delight as butterflies landed on Dad’s hat. Later on I took a photo for them – Dad and his two girls, each with a butterfly on their nose. As happy as the girls were, the look of pure love and joy on Dad’s face made me happy for days after.






Remember – it ain’t easy being green but the benefits are worth the effort.

33 comments:

CG said...

Oh, I am first to comment. Great photos and words; anna has made us all much more colour-aware!

I've tagged you...you'll be good at it!!

bobbie said...

Thanks so much for this one, Dianne! I am a sucker for a butterfly any time. I must do a blog one day soon with some of the pictures I have taken of them. Too old and slow to catch them any more.

Raven said...

I love butterflies... I used to work at AMNH years ago... must have been a wonderful experience to see and be part of this. And what a nice way to commemorate Earth Day. It really is nice to immerse ourselves in color consciously isn't it?

Dianne said...

cg - made me laugh about being first, I always feel that way too. I like how Raven commented about immersing ourselves in color consciously - she always finds the best way to say stuff.
I shall come check out the tag :)

bobbie - definitely post the butterfly photos, I'm sure they're amazing. this exhibit was wonderful. I love to get close to nature and I love how the AMNH people respected the butterflies.

raven - I thought of you when I found these photos. how wonderful to go to AMNH each day - I love that place.

Minnesotablue said...

I love Butterflies also. So beautiful and so graceful.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dianne! Great post and pictures. When you talked about the dad and his daughters, the song "Butterfly Kisses" popped into my head. What a wonderful memory. Lisa

Dianne said...

graceful is a perfect word for them minnesota blue!

Lisa - I remember that song. it would have been a perfect soundtrack for that moment. this little family was just so lovely and having such a wonderful time, they had a glow around them.

tt said...

Isn't it great to see something so beautiful that it evokes a glorious memory that's been carefully hidden away...Ahhhh...it makes for a duckbump moment. I think colors and memories go hand in hand sometimes. I'm so glad you could recall that memory. Great photos kiddo!
It ain't easy being green...makes me think of Kermit T Frog. :)

Lisa said...

So kewl! I'm jealous!!

It's just the happiest site watching little girls as the butterflies land on people. I go to the farms to watch the little girls as much as the butterflies. ;)

Jay said...

Museums and exhibits like that are so much fun. I love going to those places. Great pics too!

Anonymous said...

These sort of exhibits are fun! Up close and personal experiences :)
The last picture is awesome.

Carletta said...

I love butterflies - it would have been fun to be there!
Very nice photos.

Shelly said...

Wow, what a fabulous experience...great pic!

Anna said...

Very creative way to transition to Project Green! :)

the walking man said...

Soon the Monarchs will be passing through here on their way to Canada. It is always a good sign for them who watch for such things.

Peace

mark

Jo said...

I love butterflies, everything about them is just so poetic. The one in the last photo is huge! I'm picturing little girls with butterflies on their noses :)

Bobkat said...

Gorgeous! A great take on the 'green' theme and 'looking through'. There is always something magical about butterflies. It's not just thta they often look like flying jewels but the actual transformation that their life takes. Wonderful photo's and narrative. As always.

Leighann said...

I bet the girls with the butterflies on their noses was really sweet!

Dianne said...

tt - duckbump moments are the best :)

lisa - it was as much fun to watch the people react to the butterflies as it was to watch the butterflies themselves. in the midst of (so-called) jaded, cynical NYC everyone was enchanted.

jay - glad you liked the photos. the AMNH is a fun, fun place. very interactive. take a road trip north, I'll take you to all the museums and buy you a hat too :)

napaboaniya - thanks so much for stopping by! I like that last photo too, and later in the day I was holding the orange and the butterflies were all around me but alas no one to take a photo.

Dianne said...

carletta - it was so much fun, even though it was terribly hot in there I stayed for a very long time.

shelly - fabulous experience that I hope to repeat. I keep checking their calendar to see when the butters are coming back.

thanks anna!!! - the word creative coming from you means a lot.

apron queen - thanks so much for coming by, I'll be over to check out your sandy shorts ;)

walking man - ahhhh the Monarchs!! what a wonderful sight.

jo - there were some there even bigger! and poetic is such a lovely way to describe them

thanks so much bob-kat! I really appreciate your kind comments.

leighann - they were sweet and so happy.

Doc said...

it ain’t easy being green

Didn't Kermit the Frog say that?

;-)

Dianne said...

doc - kermit did indeed say that ;)
I had his express written permission to quote him.

Jeni said...

Butterflies - probably the only insect that I don't go bazonkers swatting at it to get away from me when I see one or it flies into my path. They are such beautiful creatures so who could be afraid of them, right? You did a great job with this post -lovely photos, good story to go with it as well! Nothing unusual for you to do that though as you always put up a great post!

Odat said...

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Peace

Akelamalu said...

Butterflies hold a very special place in my heart. Beautiful post.

Unknown said...

These color projects are really fun!

We have a cool butterfly conservatory close by. Bobbie also posted about butterflies. 'Tis the season!

See you soon,
Pagan

Anndi said...

My Chicklet and I love visiting the Montreal Botnical gardens.. you never know when a butterfly will show up, and they have, in the past, had displays where you could walk amongst the butterflies. There's something marvelous about having a butterfly mistake you for a flower.

Ada [The Duchess] said...

Thanks for visiting me today Diane! I wish everyone would go green. It could be as simple of a start as bringing your own coffee mug to buy coffee with instead of using their disposables. It could be as easy as buying the 99c reusable grocery bags and using them instead of constantly using, dumping, and bringing home those plastic bags. Turning off the tap when you're not using it...

so many little things.

The Quiet Rage said...

I love the bit about the dad and his daughters with the butterflies on their nose... Pure joy all the way around..

Hilary said...

Lovely shots, Dianne. I'm GREEN with envy! ;)

Nettie said...

How beautiful. I have never had that experience but certainly would love to have a butterfly land on my nose. Great pictures.

maryt/theteach said...

Aren't the butterflies beautiful? Lovely post! Thank you for sharing! :)

Dianne said...

awwww thanks jeni! - you always say the nicest things. I love insects LOL - I save spiders, I shoo away crickets and I won't kill mosquitos - I sonar them over to my neighbors.

odat - I love sharing photos!

akelamalu - it's very easy to love a butterful isn't it.

pagan - I saw bobbie's post! it was beautiful. thanks for dropping by :)

anndi - only a butterfly would ever mistake me for a flower LOL
I love the nickname "Chicklet"

adaora - I agree - wish everyone would realize that lots of folks doing lots of little things adds up to BIG changes.

quiet rage - it was pure joy.

hilary - LOL, thanks.

nettie - it was a great experience. I hope I get to do it again.

thanks so much teach!!