Hours before moko jumbies danced in the sand and fireball sculptures were set ablaze at the Trellis Bay full moon celebration on Saturday, partygoers learned about butterflies.
“I am doing this talk because butterflies are so important to the planet,” Ms. Burrill said. “They pollinate almost as much as bees.”
The retired social worker has worked at butterfly farms in Aruba and St. Thomas for a combined 10 years. While living on Tortola for the past four years, she has given butterfly presentations to various schools and Rotary clubs, as well as the Tortola Ladies Club.
“I am not a lepidopterist; I am just an enthusiast,” Ms. Burrill said.
She estimates that the Virgin Islands has about two dozen species of butterflies, and, as in much of the rest of the world, they are threatened by habitat loss. Recently on Beef Island — where Ms. Burrill frequently looks for butterfly eggs — a long stretch of milkweed was cut down, she said, adding that most people don’t realise the importance of the plant to butterflies and assume it is “just a weed.”
See the July 17, 2014 edition for full coverage.
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