Sustainable Celebrations

To our great disappointment the City of Mission and the Mission Police Department decided to release commercially-farmed butterflies into the wild as part of their National Crime Victims’ Rights Week ceremony, last week, on Earth Day, no less.

At this annual event, which featured a one-mile walk, a keynote speaker and poetry readings, the families of crime victims gathered to share their grief and remember their loved ones, gone too soon.

Unfortunately, participants at this event also committed a crime by violating the City of Mission’s Ordinance No. 4158, which states:

“It shall be unlawful for any person (s) within the city limits of the City of Mission to knowingly or intentionally release commercially or farm raised butterflies into the environment on public or private property.” (Article VII. Section 14- 213 (c))

Upon learning of this, we were dumbfounded that the city and the police department, whose job it is to enforce our laws, brought people together to, collectively, committed an act of ecocide. This act is all the more egregious given Mission has embraced butterflies as emblematic of this remarkable place, which is home to the one-and-only National Butterfly Center.

Clearly, we have lots of work left to do. Not only must we remind our local officials of their duty to know and uphold the ordinances that govern our fair city, we must continue to educate the public about the dangers of commercially-farmed butterflies. While many have come to understand how horrible ‘puppy mills’ are and the role they play in supplying the domestic pet trade with specimens that are often inbred, diseased and congenitally defective, few comprehend the unnatural conditions in which for-profit butterfly breeders mass produce these living creatures, resulting in the same undesirable afflictions.

If one purchases commercially-farmed butterflies, they should never be released where they are free to spread disease and to potentially breed with healthy individuals. We understand school teachers and butterfly exhibits sometimes do this for convenience, for educational purposes, or entertainment; however, there are better ways to go about providing this experience that do not risk harm to wild, free-flying populations. After all, we rely on healthy butterflies to pollinate the trees, flowers and grasses all human beings must have for a healthy planet.

There are ecologically-beneficial and life-sustaining ways to celebrate special occasions and loved ones. Here are a few suggestions:

• Plant a pollinator garden with native host and nectar plants. This will supply you with butterflies throughout the year and support the reproduction of species that belong where you live.
• Plant a native tree. If you don’t have space of your own, participate in an event that offers this opportunity or sponsor a tree that is planted in a local botanical garden, park or arboretum.
• Join your local nature center or buy memberships for others, in honor of loved ones. Memorial gifts not only provide wonder-full experiences to others, they are the gift that keeps on giving.

According to one media report of the Mission Police Department event, Chief Robert Dominguez stated, “I think most of us, in a way, think of the butterfly as something free, something liberating and something beautiful. Something to remember.”  We couldn’t agree more.

For this reason, we hope our community—all communities—will choose to do better when it comes to public policy and not only enact, but uphold, ordinances that protect the environment and the health of the creatures that depend upon it; especially the ones that add immeasurable beauty to our lives.