Sculptures and Butterfly Farms

Below are three slideshows of four sculptures I’ve worked on over the past year.  Two were complete and are intact, one remains incomplete, and one was destroyed.  (The “butterfly branch, which was gifted to my little niece who loves butterflies, was dropped by a member of the family who shall remain nameless (my brother) during his failed attempt to modify the way it was supposed to be hanging from the wall. It has since been dismantled and I will repurpose the objects to be included in other sculptures).  The first slideshow features the butterfly branch, the second features a wedding cake topper I made for my wedding and an unfinished turtle skill sculpture, and the third features a small “terrarium” sculpture I made for my friend along with some pics I took while beachcombing. 

The sculptures are comprised mainly of things (shells, rock, seaweed) that I collect from the beach here in Northern California, but most of the sculptures include shells and minerals purchased from the San Francisco “treasures and oddities” store Paxton Gate, as well as many insects from the excellent Arizona-based BicBugs.  To attach all the items together I use glue gun, and I’m happy to report that I’ve recently upgraded to a Surebonder Mini Detail Glue Gun, which has a finer tip than the previous glue gun I was using and thus I am better able to conceal the glue.

In the past I’ve asked the folks at Paxton Gate where they source their collections from and they’ve affirmed that they’re sustainably and ethically sourced.  Their website states:  

Here at Paxton Gate, we have a deep fascination and respect for the natural world. Part of our philosophy is ensuring tour our product offering is ethically sourced… Insects are often collected in their native habitats by people indigenous to the same locale.  This regulated practices gives people the means to make an income off the surrounding habitat by keeping it in its natural state, and even in some cases reforesting with native host plants intended for particular species.  In the end the effect on insect populations is positive as opposed to the alternative – loss of habitat due to farming, development, and pesticides.  Our insects are often from South-East Asia but also endemic to the Americas, Africa, Madagascar, and other regions of the world. Many of the larger and bird-wing butterflies are ranched by conservationists who release about 50% of what they raise and sell the remainder to fund their organizations, thereby helping to replenish threatened species in the wild.

BicBugs too endorses, promotes, and presumably practices sustainable and ethical collection techniques. Regarding the butterflies they sell, their website states:

They are raised in butterfly aviaries all over the world. To keep the operations running females are brought in from the wild to lay their eggs inside a large enclosed habitat. This way she and all of her babies are protected from disease, parasites, and predators. One female butterfly can lay thousands of eggs. In the wild only a handful will survive into adulthood because of all of these obstacles. In captivity virtually 100% will survive. Once the butterflies reach adulthood many are released back into the wild to help increase the indigenous populations. The rest are kept in the butterfly house for the rest of their lives, which is only a week or so in most cases, after they hatch from their chrysalis. Museums, universities, and businesses like ours will purchase the deceased specimens to preserve and keep in a collection for the public, to study things like DNA/evolution of a species/mutations/disease, or to make artwork. The money we supply to the butterfly houses helps keep their operation running, which in turn saves the native species of insects and plants from becoming endangered or extinct. This financial incentive motivates governments in third world countries to maintain their natural flora and fauna… We also work with local pet stores, breeders, universities, and museums to acquire other critters like frogs, snakes, seahorses, and octopi. All of the animals we receive from them have died in transit from one place to another or from natural causes like disease, genetic abnormalities, etc.

While Paxton Gate and BicBugs seem to have adopted ethical business practices, I’m sure there are many bad actors when it comes to insect trafficking and collecting.  Here a few different videos I’m come across which should how the trade in farmed and collected insects and butterflies can be either nefarious or extremely beneficial to local economies and ecosystems, depending on the approach:

Indonesia – Good and Bad (the ominous music contributes to the impression that this is not good)

Papua New Guinea – Seemingly Good (but an old ass video from 1993)

Kenya – Seemingly Good (though not without its challenges, probably the way it should be done)