Bringing in the month of butterflies

And when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful.’ Author Ruskin Bond, perhaps, had a moment of clairvoyance when he penned these words many moons ago.

CHENNAI: And when all the wars are over, a butterfly will still be beautiful.’ Author Ruskin Bond, perhaps, had a moment of clairvoyance when he penned these words many moons ago. We know that 2020 has been a war at many levels, the ramifications of which stretch far beyond what meets the naked eye, and yet we celebrated a few historical moments when the planet rebooted itself even as its denizens hibernated.

We saw photos of rare species on otherwise chaotic roads, we heard birdsongs that whispered on lockdown apocalyptic mornings, and we spotted some winged wonders in our balconies and rooftops. So even while the earth continues to recuperate from a finicky virus, a few green champs decided to dedicate September as the Big Butterfly Month: India 2020.

Why September, you ask? Let’s go back to our class 4 Science textbook. Remember the lesson on the four stages in a butterfly’s life cycle? Well, many butterfly experts tell us that the study of butterflies is limited to this one chapter, leaving us oblivious to several other fascinating facts of these brightly coloured beauties.

“The months of March and September are when the conditions are most favourable for their habitats, and the adult butterflies break out of their cocoon,” says Shantanu Dey, one of the organisers of the month-long festival that is being held for the past three years by a network of enthusiasts. Collaborating with 30 butterfly and nature clubs, and public institutions, Shantanu is hosting a nationwide Butterfly Count event, as well. “This is the largest collective count we have done so far.

We are encouraging people who have been curious about these insects to reach out to us, and social media has made it easier,” says Sharan V, one of the organisers in Chennai. A series of webinars and contests have been organised too. This year’s theme is to observe one’s own backyard. Virtual walks, butterfly talks, workshops, and a series of week-long events are now open to celebrate the life journey of this insect and its unlimited offerings to the environment.

Journaling contest

GUIDELINES
The Nature Journal should be related to observations around butterflies.

(Maximum two entries)
Send your entries to bigbutterflymonth@gmail. com with the subject “BBMI_ butterflyjournaling” with the following details:

• Contact detail having: a) Full Name b) Telephone number (of either parent in case of a minor) c) email address (of either parent in case of a minor).
• Work submitted should be original, a declaration about same should be mentioned on covering mail.
• Language of submission: English
• There is no word count for poem/ song, however, for other creatives, restrict submissions to 700-1000 words.
• Entries are deemed disqualified on not meeting the requirements.
• Last date of submission is September 20. Contest is valid for Indian residents only.

Videography contest

GUIDELINES

• Maximum one entry.
• Send your entries to bigbutterflymonth@gmail.com with the subject “BBMI_ videography”.
• To participate via Instagram, its mandatory to use #BBMI_ videography hashtag for this contest, and tag @butterflymonthindia , either in posts or stories.
• Videos should be in MP4 or a format compatible with any system.
• Videos should be sent with the following details: a) Name b) Telephone number c) email address d) Location of the video e) Date of the video
• Videos should be three minutes or less and 20 MB or less.

7. Contest is valid for Indian residentsonly and content generated in India.

8. Last date of submission: September 20.

Photography contest

GUIDELINES

• Maximum two entries.
• Entries to be sent to bigbutterflymonth@gmail.com with subject ‘BBMI_photography’.
• People can participate on Instagram by tagging. @ bigbutterflymonthindia with #BBMI_photography. Stories will not be accepted.
• Stories should be in JPEG format with the name of the contestant, number, email ID and, location and date of the photograph included in the description.
• The file size must be under 3MB and pictures must be at least 1600x1600 pixels.
• If shortlisted, a raw version of the picture will be requested.
• Contest is restricted to Indian residents with pictures taken in India.
• Last day of submission: September 20.

Art contest

GUIDELINES

• The artwork should be related to butterflies. Send your entries to bigbutterflymonth@gmail.com with the subject “BBMI _art contest”. Mention the category.
• To participate via Instagram, it’s mandatory to use hashtag #BBMI_artcontest, and to tag @ butterflymonthindia.
• Entries via email should be sent with the following details: full name, telephone number, email address.
• Work submitted should be original, a declaration about same should be mentioned in mail.
• Language of submission: English

Butterfly life cycle

contest
Chronicle the various stages in the life of our fluttering friends — from the butterfly laying an egg on its host plant to the emergence of another butterfly from the pupa through photos, blogs, videos, and write-ups. Understand one of nature’s marvellous feats first hand and share it.(No age group restrictions,
contest open for all.)

CONTEST GUIDELINES

• One collage per species and maximum of two entries.
• Send your entries to bigbutterflymonth@ gmail.com with the subject “BBMI_butterfly Lifecycle”.
• To participate via Instagram, it’s mandatory to the #BBMI_lifecycle hashtag for this contest, and tag @butterflymonthindia , either in posts or stories with a detailed description on the lifecycle done.
• Entries should be in compatible digital formats, capable of running on any general system.
• Images should be in digital format JPEG and videos should be in a digital format MP4 or a format compatible with any general system and should be sent with the following details: a) Name b) Telephone number c) email address d) Location of the life cycle e) Time period of the life cycle
• All digital files must be of size 20 MB or less.
• Contest is valid for Indian residents only For details on how to be a part of the butterfly count, call: 9443267670.