They come in amazing colours of the rainbow. They flutter about in our garden yards, near
streams, in public parks, forest edges and in deep jungle. They are the better known insects for their
beauty. That’s the reason I like to
chase butterflies. They bring me places
and provide me loads of wow factor.
Meeting them are without appointments. Thus you have to be exceptionally patient and
passionate about these ‘jewels of the forest’.
This is especially so for us who live in the tropical rainforest environment
which is home to the greatest variety of butterflies in the world.
My love for butterflies got increasingly focussed when I
decided to make a butterfly garden in a
corner of my nature park in Bintulu. Here in my own leisure I begin to study and
discover more about these insects within home range. Thus far I have photographed and written (in
blog posts) many stories of my encounter with them here. Try follow this link
to have some appreciation of them…http://kambatikpark.blogspot.my/search/label/Butterflies%20in%20the%20park .
Butterflies are sensitive because they are indicators of
other types of insects bio-diversity which is constantly under threat. They are known to be sensitive to drought
which can wipe out a whole population.
As a marvel of nature’s creation, these beauties should be encouraged to multiply not merely because they provide the essential function for humans as
pollinators for crops but also acts as a barometer for the health of our
environment. It is no wonder that they appear on stamps and children are taught
to go butterfly watching to understand nature and science.
As for me I prefer to preserve nature for the wilderness
experience it provides and for the assurance of better natural habitat for
these sensitive beauties to thrive. I
will no doubt continue to chase after them, to photograph them in real natural
habitats within my own time. These
sensitive beauties suits well for my love of photography and nature. Go out then and try your hand in conserving
nature.
Happy Malaysia Day, Sarawak.
( This is the second of a series of articles as my writing contribution on what Malaysia Day means to me as a Sarawakian 2017)
