How Does the Glasswing Butterfly Indicate Rainforest Health?

[KellyTheChef]

Glasswing Butterfly
Just one of God's Wonders lives in South America . A butterfly with transparent wings is rare and beautiful. As delicate as finely blown glass, the presence of this rare tropical gem is used by rain forest ecologists as an indication of high habitat quality and its demise alerts them of ecological change. Rivaling the refined beauty of a stained glass window, the translucent wings of the Glasswing butterfly shimmer in the sunlight like polished panes of turquoise, orange, green, and red.

Really something isn't it?

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/KellyTheChef/butterfly1.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/KellyTheChef/butterfly3.jpg

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t24/KellyTheChef/butterfly2.jpg

 

[SnowChef]

What beautiful photos!!

 

[DebbieJ]

Wow! Gorgeous!

 

[Ginger428]

Simply BEAUTIFUL!!!!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

At The Fredrick Meijer Gardens, they are having a "Butterflies Are Blooming" feature right now.....and the Clearwing Butterfly is one of the featured butterflies - we went a couple weeks ago on a sunny warm Sunday afternoon (nicest day we've had this Spring!) and the butterflies were out in droves. The clearwings were so beautiful!

Here is a link:

http://www.meijergardens.org/

 

[raebates]

Beautiful!

 

[vwpamperedchef]

my name, vanessa, mean butterfly.

I just LOVE these pics!

 

[KellyTheChef]

At The Fredrick Meijer Gardens, they are having a "Butterflies Are Blooming" feature right now.....and the Clearwing Butterfly is one of the featured butterflies - we went a couple weeks ago on a sunny warm Sunday afternoon (nicest day we've had this Spring!) and the butterflies were out in droves. The clearwings were so beautiful!

Here is a link:

http://www.meijergardens.org/

Becky~

I wish I was there! That would be amazing to experience! I can't even imagine how beautiful they would be seeing them up close!

 

[nicki25]

These are beautiful pictures.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Becky~

I wish I was there! That would be amazing to experience! I can't even imagine how beautiful they would be seeing them up close!

Kelly,
You would love them! there was a guy right in front of us who had a shiny bald head, and one came and landed on the top of his head, and stayed there the whole time we were in the conservatory. It was fun to watch. One of the attendants said that they like the salt.
My (almost) 3 yr old couldn't get enough of the butterflies - and keeps asking to go back. He has been on the computer with me twice to look at the pictures you posted, when he saw them he said "Ohhh Mommy, our butterflies!"- so thanks so much from me and Micah - he has really enjoyed looking at them with me today!

 

[KellyTheChef]

Kelly,
You would love them! there was a guy right in front of us who had a shiny bald head, and one came and landed on the top of his head, and stayed there the whole time we were in the conservatory. It was fun to watch. One of the attendants said that they like the salt.
My (almost) 3 yr old couldn't get enough of the butterflies - and keeps asking to go back. He has been on the computer with me twice to look at the pictures you posted, when he saw them he said "Ohhh Mommy, our butterflies!"- so thanks so much from me and Micah - he has really enjoyed looking at them with me today!

Oh, I am so glad Micah (and you ) enjoyed them! I can't wait to see what treasures we have in store for us in heaven! There's so much of God's creation here on this earth that is just breathtaking!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Oh, I am so glad Micah (and you ) enjoyed them! I can't wait to see what treasures we have in store for us in heaven! There's so much of God's creation here on this earth that is just breathtaking!

It's all proof that God loves us and wants only the best for us....and that He is a God of creativity & imagination....and the Giver of All Good Things!

 

[KellyTheChef]

It's all proof that God loves us and wants only the best for us....and that He is a God of creativity & imagination....and the Giver of All Good Things!

Couldn't agree more...thanks for the reminder!

 

[ChefBeckyD]

One more thing, and then I'll stop - I promise!
One time in College (http://www.ciu.edu/) I had the privilege of hearing Ravi Zacharias (http://www.rzim.org/) speak. He is a highly educated, well known Christian Apologist....so I was expecting him to be so deep....and very high-brow. I will never forget when he stood before the crowd, and the first words he spoke were: "Never, ever lose your sense of wonder. Never, ever lose your sense of wonder..."
Again, Kelly, thanks for giving us some wonder today in the middle of the world's heaviness and bad news!

 

[dannyzmom]

Wow - they are amazingly beautiful!!
I live in Coconut Creek, Florida - the Butterfly Capitol of the World - we have a wonderful place called "Butterfly World" to visit and we have butterfly gardnes all over the city - even at the elementary school - it's really cool!@

http://www.coconutcreek.net/butterflies/default.asp

 

[GourmetGirl]

Carolyn, what a cool thing for kids to get to experience, butterflies in their schools! I bet there is hardly any angry, mean kids at that school; I mean how could you be fierce seeing butterflies?!?!

Awesome pics Kelly, I've never seen that kind of butterfly before! Thanks... that was a big pick me up on a Monday!

 

[raebates]

I used to volunteer in a preschool. Every spring the teacher would order caterpillars to hatch. The kids got to watch them go from caterpillar to chrysalis, to butterfly. Then, they got to watch the release of the butterflies. It was wonderful to see the awe on their faces. I think of them whenever I see a butterfly.