On Butterflies wings and a prayer
This is a post from about 4 years prior. Since then some refugees have been adopted as family members, for all intensive purposes to be now joyful additions to those local expanded families residing in Eltham.
Below is my previous posting.
Last Saturday according to the Sunday Age newspaper in Eltham, a leafy northern eastern suburb of Melbourne where I live "The battle for Eltham" dubbed by the newspaper was won by the butterflies which carried the day.
The battle was between pro and anti refugees groups but what the small anti group of protestors encountered adorning the surrounding trees and footpaths were 8000 beautiful depictions of colourful butterflies. This was the predawn work of locals wanting to express symbolically their welcome to the 120 Syrian refugees soon to be accommodated in a section of an aged care facility. The pictures of police standing guard on the pavement under a blanket of large butterflies looked was quite amazing.
The refugees are to be housed for 2 years in a separate section of St Vincent's aged care facility which was previously derelict but now renovated for their use while they re-establish themselves.
Protestors put up signs "Protect elderly in aged care" but the renovated independent units are separate to the high care section and only families will be occupying the units. Others have voiced concern these units could have been used to alleviate shortages in aged care. But demand is specific only to high care and there is no shortage of independent units in the shire.
In our local Catholic church parishioners have been very active for a number of months organising donations of essential household goods for designated units so that the refugees feel welcome.
7 comments:
I find the question of refugees far too complex to make a quick, off-the-cuff response....except to say that the supporters had an interesting way to present their support.
Hi Tom,
The use of butterflies to welcome them to their new life symbolically represents the hearts and soul of a community striving to preserve the few remaining populations of the threatened Eltham Copper Butterfly (ECB) in Victoria.
First discovered here in 1938 it was thought to have become extinct around the 1950’s. But they was re-discovered in 1987.
So too, it is hoped, the refuges will discover a new welcoming home, amongst the butterflies.
The butterfly is an unusual species due to its close symbiotic association with a group of ants from the genus Notoncus and the shrub Sweet Bursaria (Bursaria spinosa).
Adult butterflies lay their eggs on the roots and stems of Sweet Bursaria. Once the eggs hatch, the ants guard the caterpillars (providing protection from predators) ushering the larvae to and from the ant nest at the base of the shrub, to feed on the Sweet Bursaria leaves at night. In return the ants feed on the sugar secretions exuded from the body of the caterpillar.
The butterfly has a preference for open flight paths and receiving direct sunlight; vegetation with an open middle and under storey.
In the Eltham area, the Nillumbik Shire Council own and manage six bushland reserves for the conservation of the Eltham Copper Butterfly.
Over the past twenty-five years there have been sustained investments of time and money to maintain and conserve the populations and supporting eco-system.
This has been a cooperative effort of land managers, Friends Groups, and the Eltham Copper Butterfly Working Group.
Best wishes
This is quite fascinating, but what do the ants get from this relationship?
Hi Tom,
It’s a bit complicated so let me reiterate with more detail on the completer process. The Butterflies lay their eggs in a nest prepared by the ants.
The “satellite nests” are constructed around the base of the Bursar to keep the caterpillars safe over the winter season, for them to finally emerge in spring.
Thereafter, at night, the ant sentries stand guard around their intervertebrate friends, guarding the caterpillars as they feast on the soft leaves of the super sweet Bursaria. The ants then escort them back to the safety of the fortress nest where they reside during the day. If anything tries to attack the caterpillars the ants quickly swarm and launch a full scale assault.
Not only do they guard the caterpillars, but the ants attend to housekeeping duties by keeping them meticulously clean. This is done as the caterpillars feed. What happens is the Eltham coppers excrete a sugary by-product from their backs which is consumed by the ants. That is what they get out of the relationship, to consume the sweetness from the reconstituted bursar bush, via the secretions of the caterpillars. If this process didn’t happen the secretion would turn mouldy and kill the caterpillars. You often see 4 or 5 ants on the caterpillar’s backs feasting and therefore cleaning at the same time, It is indeed one of the great wonders of nature.
Any attempt to breed the butterflies in captivity fails because what is consumed by the ants in terms of the viscous liquid excreted by the caterpillars is impossible to replicate in captivity. The extraordinary relationship of co-dependency has existed since the formation of this rare and endangered species.
Best wishes
Thank you, Lindsay. All is now clear.
A wonder of nature, indeed.
Thank you, Lindsay.
As for the refugees: How are they now, four years after their arrival?
Hi Sean,
They have now all moved out of what was only a temporary accommodation for a few years, on the basis they stayed until such time as they have found their feet so to speak. Several have formed close bonds with the community and become an integral part of the locals extended family while others have gained meaningful employment, apprenticeships and so forth. Occasionally the call goes out for help to buy a computer or other item such as household equipment beyond their means.
But for the balance, they have moved on and hopefully will be able to call this little pocket or elsewhere in Australia their home. There never was any trouble arising from this move, since all of the refugees have blended into the community in a way that doesn’t get noticed in the news.
Best wishes
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