Bound by Beauty

A young woman's face was transformed from grief-stricken to awestruck in the blink of an eye...

An 89-year-old woman was changed from a glass-half-empty pessimist into an happy, laughing optimist...

A neighbor stopped using Roundup, despite his previous resistance when his dog was diagnosed with a cancer associated with that chemical...

A woman was instantly transformed from an egocentric gardener to an ecocentric one...

What created these amazing paradigm shifts?  Butterflies and the amazing process of metamorphosis, which Bound by Beauty uses as a catalyst to transform neighbors into nurturers of Nature. 

We are passionate about pollinators and about conserving the important biodiversity that our lives depend on. We want our children’s and grandchildren’s futures to be full of the beauty of butterflies and birdsong, and the magic of metamorphosis and migration.

Our programs are creative and innovative, combining science, art and fun. They are designed to connect neighbors with nature and with each other, opening people's eyes to the beauty and importance of the biodiversity we all depend on. They also reduce our carbon footprint, conserve and expand habitat for native flora and fauna, and safeguard our food and water supplies.  Best of all, anyone can create something similar in your own community.  Click on the programs below for more information:

🦋 Brockway Library Wildlife Garden Project Transforming a monoculture of thirsty sod and a Category I invasive Suriname cherry box hedge into a biodiverse sanctuary that conserves our drinking water, preserves biodiversity, and educates people about the importance of beautiful, resilient, and sustainable landscapes.  

🦋 Butterfly Circles  are innovative and consist of wild native plants that host butterflies and moths and provide food for pollinators and other important insects.  Our original Butterfly Circle, despite only being 12' in diameter, has 73 species of insects uploaded to iNaturalist.  A neighbor came over to tell us that he was 73 years old and had never understood the concept of biodiversity until he saw the Circle.  It has inspired numerous Circles in schools, public spaces, and private gardens.

🦋 Wild Plant Scavenger Hunts and Cool Bug Safaris are fun and educational for children and adults. One group of high school students enjoyed it so much they wanted to replicate it.  

🦋 Network of Neighborhood Nurturies have enabled us to donate plants to schools, churches, and neighbors, expanding the number of native plants for pollinators and other important wildlife.

🦋 Foster Garden Program ensures that caterpillars don't run out of food, and that host plants aren't decimated.  We have rescued numerous species, including over 3,000 Atala caterpillars.

🦋 Seeds2Share  has enabled us to teach nearly 300 children how to germinate plants from seed.  

🦋 Sidewalk Chalk Art is a means of educating passersby about the important plants in grassy areas, as well as to let children draw the world they want to see.

🦋 Greening South Florida, starting in Miami Shores, enables us to see the growing number of gardens that are pesticide-free and pollinator-friendly.

We have free, downloadable resources 

CHECK OUR RESOURCES

🐛 Wild Host Plants and Butterflies Posters - Download Here

🐛 Wildlife Sanctuary Guide - Download Here

🐛 Field Guide To Wild Plants that Host Butterflies - Download Here

We also give workshops and presentations on topics that include:

🐞 Gardening for Butterflies, Birds, and Biodiversity

🐞 Creating a Sanctuary for Wildlife

🐞 Fighting Climate Change with Butterflies

🐞 Using Art to Harness the Transformative Power of Butterflies

🐞 Mummies and Cannibals and Lions in the Garden: The Life Cycles of Some Plant Pest Predators

Please check out our website at www.boundbybeauty.org and join our efforts to combat climate change from the comfort of our gardens by connecting, educating, transforming and replicating. The world we will create will be full of magic.