On a Butterfly's Wing: Lessons From Nature on Embracing Change

A unique mix of self-help and natural history inspiration, written by a key figure in recovering three endangered species, tells how a butterfly’s transformations can inspire our own. In our era of global change, we need stories that offer hope and positive solutions to the challenges we face. On a Butterfly’s Wing is a true story, told by one of the world’s leading conservationists, who describes how the parallel lives of a butterfly and a beloved mother can help us to reflect on the unique privilege of being alive. Its narrator (La Reme, the butterfly itself) shows us how the stages in the butterfly life cycle offer lessons for the difficult transformations of our own. We are encouraged to shed our skins as caterpillars do; to collaborate with others like cells within a chrysalis; and to spread the multi-colored wings of our imaginations. En route, we discover the remarkable 12,000-kilometer migratory cycle of painted lady butterflies, which can take three generations to travel from Norway to Africa. Their remarkable journey serves to remind us that our own transient lives - made from particles billions of years old - connect us all in the universe’s own constant metamorphosis.

Table of Contents:
Prologue I. The Magic of Transformation 1. A Quick Overflight 2. Shedding and Growing 3. The Imaginal Soup 4. A Fateful Accident II. My Life as a Flightless Butterfly 5. Mission Amatxi 6. The Gregarious Globetrotters 7. Never Give Up III. Lessons from Nature 8. The Eternal Cycle 9. Looking Back IV. Regeneration 10. Attention, Here and Now 11. Looking Forward 12. Stardust In Memoriam Gratitude Disappearing Butterflies Resources About the Author Acknowledgements

About the Author :
Astrid Vargas is a conservation biologist with an outstanding record in leading environmental restoration programmes. She has been a key figure in the recovery of three of the world’s most endangered species: the Iberian lynx (Spain), the black-footed ferret (USA) and the golden-crowned sifaka (Madagascar). Astrid was named by El País as one of the Top 100 people in Ibero-America. She has earned a Lifetime Career Achievement Award from the Government of Andalusia, a Nature Conservation and Research Award from EDC, Spain, and a top 10 nomination in the global Future for Nature Awards, The Netherlands. Astrid believes in the power of art and inspiration to transform society. She is the founder of Inspiration 4 Action, an initiative that inspires communities to bring collective creativity into ecosystem restoration.

Review :
“Every so often a book comes along with a sweep and magic that means you’ll rarely find a copy languishing in a secondhand bookshop because it has metamorphosed into a family treasure.” —Tim Smit, Co-Founder, Eden Project “This exceptional book is an inspiration, a personal guide and a call to action. A beautifully illustrated autobiography of a butterfly based on a true story, it spins a magic that captures hearts and leaves us with hope and a determination to do better. For ourselves, for nature – and for the butterflies. A brilliant read for all ages and a philanthropic tool for rewilding butterflies.” —Kris Tompkins, U.N. Environment Patron of Protected Areas