On the evening of September 17, 2019, I received a Pride of Ulster County Award from the Ulster County Legislature presented to me by Kathy Nolan. A resolution for Ulster County to become a Pollinator Protecting entity passed unanimously immediately following the ceremony.
Here is my acceptance Speech:
I wrote my acceptance speech so that I may be succinct since after almost five decades on this path, I have many stories and much information to share.
Truly I thank Tracey Bartels and Kathy Nolan for presenting me with this honor in recognition of my years of advocacy on behalf of butterflies and all pollinators. I thank Kathy for introducing a bill for Ulster County to become a pollinator protecting entity. I am proud that Ulster County doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides and will expand its efforts to protect pollinators, which are vital to our survival.
Like all award ceremonies, there are always many to acknowledge for their efforts in making our part of the planet healthier and welcoming to all creatures, including humans.
The effect of a butterfly’s wing can be felt in many ways and in far quarters. Just as millions of monarchs fly thousands of miles together on their perilous migration to Mexico, when we humans pull our energies together, we can accomplish much in the face of many challenges.
This year has been a banner year for monarchs in our area, more than seen in a decade. I believe many entities contributed to this phenomenon, indicating that we are doing something right. Thanks to the town of Olive, and Sylvia Rozzelle & Jim Sofranko, in early 2014 the Olive Board passed a resolution to protect pollinators. Thanks to Olive Town Library for maintaining a butterfly/pollinator garden I installed in front of the library in 2014. Olive took a leading role in 2016 to became a monarch/pollinator protector under the auspices of the National Wildlife Federation, having taken a few of the 25 suggested initiatives to make our area pollinator friendly.
Special thanks to Eric Stewart, a Marbletown Board, and environmental committee member for installing a beautiful butterfly/pollinator garden in front of their town hall in 2017, inspired by and dedicated to me and now an inspiration to the community and a model for other communities.
Thanks to the DEP for no longer spraying glyphosate either around the reservoirs or on most of the 99 miles of road they control since 2016. They have recently set aside 60 acres of their land as wildflower pollinator habitat.
Thanks to the planners of our new rail/trail that will be a pollinator pathway.
I thank all the towns that are mowing later in the season to protect monarch caterpillars and chrysalids, of which there are an abundance right now. I thank all the individuals and businesses who have planted gardens, each one important in helping to create green corridors.
I ran into Frank Costello, Saugerties Supervisor, at a Catskill Mountain keeper event recently. He remembered me from five years ago when I spoke to the Saugerties town board about the importance of protecting butterflies and other pollinators. He also remembered that the Board looked at me as if I were from outer space, but now they are much more aware of the dire consequences of losing our pollinators. He also invited me back to speak, which I am willing to do for any town environmental commission or Board.
The times they are a changing. I think people are going to be very cranky when there is no chocolate, almonds, oranges and about one third of our food goes missing. We all have a responsibility to see that doesn’t happen.
I would like to conclude with the thought: Take a moment to remember how you feel when you see a butterfly. I don’t want to imagine a world without butterflies, which would be a world without hope. Let’s become one of the most pollinator friendly counties in the country, inviting and enticing to butterflies, pollinators, tourists and those who live here to flourish. Thank you again, from my heart, for this award puts some wind under my wings, encouraging me to keep on keeping on. We’ve got a lot of work to do.