For the Karner Blue, the metamorphosis from egg to butterfly takes many months. Guilderland High School sophomore Natasha Permaul’s transformative experience with the endangered species took even longer.
The Pine Bush Saturday, March 9, will celebrate the release of Permaul’s book about the life cycle of a Karner Blue butterfly. The children’s book started as a seventh-grade science project.
It’s often said that the best way to learn in life is through actual experience. While it may not be possible to live through the eyes of a butterfly, Permaul tells the story of life through the eyes of a Karner Blue in the book “Mister Karner Blue.” The book is the product of a partnership between the Albany Pine Bush Preserve Commission and the students of Farnsworth Middle School.
Under the direction of science teacher Alan Fiero, students in grades six and seven at Farnsworth are helping to support the conservation efforts of the Pine Bush Commission by rearing endangered Karner Blue butterflies for release within the Pine Bush Preserve.
“It’s not like these kids are just putting up a greenhouse, throwing some butterfly eggs in it and growing butterflies,” said Jeffrey Folmer, Discovery Center director at the Albany Pine Bush. “This is some pretty serious science they are working on — with an endangered species there are very restrictive things that one can and cannot do.”
The middle school has been raising butterflies for the Albany Pine Bush for 14 years under Fiero’s guidance. In 2012, of the 600 captive-reared butterfly chrysalises the commission had to work with, 200 were reared at Farnsworth Middle School.
Permaul’s story about the life cycle of the Karner Blue butterfly started as a science project in Fiero’s class when she was in seventh grade. After presenting her project at the Pine Bush one evening, one of the Pine Bush directors approached Fiero about publishing the story as a children’s book to be sold in the Discovery Center gift shop.
By combining artwork created by students at Farnsworth, along with Permaul’s butterfly story and photographs of the Pine Bush, Wendy Craney, the communications outreach director at the Pine Bush, began to put together the first stages of the book. The book took three years to complete and sits today on shelves in the Discovery Center gift shop and the miSci (Museum of Innovation and Science) in Schenectady where there is currently an exhibit about native butterflies.
Craney said the earnings from the book will go to the Albany Pine Bush Commission.
“The idea is to use the proceeds to help with our conservation and management work that we do here in the preserve for the Karner Blue butterfly,” she said.
Folmer hopes the book will spark an interest in young children and their parents about the life of the Karner Blue and the learning opportunities at the Discovery Center.
“There are a lot of interesting things you can learn here at the Discovery Center,” he said.
The March 9 event at the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center, located at 195 New Karner Road in Albany, will include a reading of “Mister Karner Blue” by Permaul along with a book signing party from 1 to 4 p.m.
Educators will be available to answer questions and will lead a “storywalk” through the trails of the Pine Bush where visitors can walk along the trail and learn about “Mister Karner Blue.”
Permaul said she would like to write more children’s stories in the future, but doesn’t have anything in particular in mind just yet. For now, she said she is happy in helping to raise awareness about the importance of “Mister Karner Blue.”
“Everyone keeps asking me if I’m going to be famous,” said Permaul with a giggle.
The Discovery Center offers a variety of programs throughout the year for individuals of all ages. Admission is free and the center is open year round. Find out more about the Albany Pine Bush at www.albanypinebush.org.