Reflection

In middle school, I learned about the monarch butterfly’s incredible migration to Mexico - and the alarming 90% population decline over the past two decades. I organized a “Save the Monarch” rally at school, designed T-shirts, and handed out milkweed seeds. I also planted milkweed in my backyard, which has since grown into a small sanctuary. To support their recovery, I’ve raised monarchs through their life cycle, incubating eggs from my garden and feeding the caterpillars fresh milkweed until they were ready to spread their wings and migrate. Monarch, as a powerful symbol for advocates of biodiversity and environmental sustainability, opened the door for me to begin my own environmental advocacy and deepened my commitment to sustainability. Waiting each year for their migration, I grew closely connected to the miniature ecosystem in my own backyard. To capture this connection, I used recycled cardboard to set a rustic setting for the window with old wooden shutters against the brick wall. Two monarch butterflies–ones I raised from caterpillars from my milkweed garden delicately perched on the window’s edge, their vibrant wings vivid against the muted background. The darkness inside the window contrasts with the bright world beyond, symbolizing hope and renewal. Just as the monarchs opened the window to nature for me, I hope my visual narrative will inspire others to be connected to our amazing natural world.