Nerd It Forward: Of Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs

Of Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs

When we have a hard week, or we sit at our desks dwelling on how boring our jobs are we might forget that there are others in the world who are less fortunate than us and there are also problems in this world that seem out of our control. It’s good to reflect on some of the good in this world and that’s what this little corner of NC is for. Today I’d like to talk about some people that are doing good things: Of Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs.

Good in Nature

Sometimes we don’t realize how much of a negative impact humans have on beneficial wildlife. But even more so, sometimes we can make things right and have an impact that is positive!  Here in Upstate NY, we always had an abundance of Monarch butterflies. Finding Monarch caterpillars, raising them, and releasing them back into the wild once hatched from a chrysalis was one of my favorite memories as a kid. Now, the milkweed plant that Monarch caterpillars depend upon gets mowed down so much these butterflies have become endangered.

My own cousin actually found six Monarch caterpillars this past summer and did her part to make sure that they made it to butterfly-hood safely! Check out her group of chrysalis below.

Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs

Scientist Tim Wong is doing the same thing in his backyard in California. In San Francisco the Swallowtail Butterfly has greatly decreased in numbers, “due to over-development and invasive plant species” (Huffington Post, 2016). See what Tim is doing to help the Swallowtail population.

Meet The Scientist Who Brought An Entire Butterfly Species Bac…

Meet the scientist who brought an entire species back to life

Posted by Huffington Post UK on Thursday, 28 July 2016

So what can you do to help out your local butterfly (and bee!) populations? Plant more wild flowers that attract the butterflies, and allow patches of vegetation that their offspring feed off of to thrive in an area of your yard. Also, avoid using pesticides and/or chemicals to treat your garden.

Good for Kids

Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs

This littlesttoughest hero, Bryce suffers from muscular dystrophy. Bryce’s dad, Ryan, created the non-profit organization Magic Wheelchair. This organization helps to transform kids’ wheelchairs into their dream vehicles.

Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs Butterflies and Magic Wheelchairs

Adding even more awesome, Magic Wheelchair teamed up with The For The Win Project to help Bryce’s dream come true. Bryce is a huge fan of Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy. Not only did The For The Win Project create this amazing trailer of Bryce assisting Peter Quill in his custom mining pod, but Chris Pratt himself Accepted Bryce as a new Guardian of the Galaxy.

The For The Win Project helps to give children with special needs the chance to be their favorite heroes in their own official movie poster or trailer! Be sure to give them a Like on Facebook so you can see all the latest posters and trailers.

I don’t know about you but I definitely have the warm fuzzies now! Remember, nerds, you can make a difference whether it is the life of a child or something as small as a butterfly.

Stay Nerdy

~Jams

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