Connection – A Prairie Wisdom Card

Connection - Prairie Wisdom Card

Monarch on Milkweed © 2011 Bo Mackison

“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one destiny, affects all indirectly.”
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

The monarch butterfly, a bit of bright color in the summer prairie, has a unique story. Monarchs migrate from North America to Mexico every fall, and then return in spring, in an amazing test of inter-generational resiliency – the monarchs that begin the migration do not return. The next generation returns. It is a story of connection – generations of monarchs are required for the annual round trip.

And the monarchs are a visible example of the interconnectedness of nature. The Monarch larvae eat from the milkweed plant, and only from the milkweed. As the milkweed population lessens from loss of habitat and use of pesticides, the monarch populations decrease. All of nature is connected, often in unknown or poorly understood ways. And we are a part of nature. Our lives are ultimately affected by the decline of the many species of plant, insect, and animal whose numbers are slowly being diminished, often the result of human actions.

Not only are we connected – each in our own spectacular way – to all of humanity, not only does what happens to one of us ultimately affects all of us in limitless ways, but that which affects the smallest creatures on earth also plays an important part in our destiny – and that of our earth.

“Our ancient experience confirms at every point that everything is linked together, everything is inseparable.”
~ Dalai Lama XIV

The CONNECTION card offers inspiration for contemplation, journal writing, perhaps an art activity or a daily practice. How does it inspire you?

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.  Bo is creating the set of Prairie Wisdom Cards, second in a series of cards based on natural habitats, and used as inspiration for exploration and self-discovery.

 

Sunlit Milkweed Pod

Milkweed Pod

Milkweed Pod © 2011 Bo Mackison

By cultivating the beautiful we scatter the seeds of heavenly flowers, as by doing good we cultivate those that belong to humanity.
~ Robert A. Heinlein

I wouldn’t be autumn without a photo session with a milkweed pod, recently split open, and spilling its many feathery light seeds into the world. Even as I was shooting, a light breeze picked up many of the seeds and sent them sailing into the sky.

I was lucky to be shooting early in the morning, when the winds had not yet turned strong and the morning sun rays illuminated the milk pods in its golden light.

Milkweed seeds are closely associated with my business name, Seeded Earth.

I began taking macro-photographs of the many autumn seeds in a nearby prairie in early October, 2007, and really took my first prolonged look at a few of the millions of seeds covering the earth. At the time I thought of how the earth was a “seeded earth”. When the time came to choose the name of my first blog, one in which I planned to feature a daily photograph of nature, the name “Seeded Earth Photography” came to mind.

Macro Milkweed Exploding Seeds

My First Milkweed Seed Photograph © 2007 Bo Mackison

This is one of the first photographs I took when I began my daily photography challenge in October, 2007. And that was the beginning of Seeded Earth Studio.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC.

Milkweed Fluff

Milkweed in Autumn

Milkweed in Autumn © 2008

The Common Milkweed, a native plant in Wisconsin, has rough textured pods that contain thousands of seeds attached to strands of silky down. As the pods split in autumn, the seeds open like tiny parachutes and travel on wind currents to a new site to seed.

This silky stuff has been used creatively throughout the years. Settlers in the 1700s and early 1800s used the fluff to fill their pillows and mattresses. In the 1860s, thread from the down was made into socks and purses. During World War II, schoolchildren collected milkweed pods and the pods were sent to central processing locations. The down was used to fill life preservers and to line the uniforms of the United States Air Force. Milkweed down is extremely bouyant and a few pounds of this spinnery stuff can keep a 150 pound person afloat in water.

What’s Blooming in the Prairie?

Thistles in the Blue

Thistles in the Blue © 2008 Bo Mackison

Thistle, prickly to the hand and quite noxious to other plants as it tends to take over and monopolize the land to the detriment of other plants. The name “thistle” is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning “to stab” – the plant is appropriately named, full of thorn set as a defense against crawling creatures after the flowers’ extremely sweet nectar. Birds and butterflies can easily approach though, and goldfinches are especially fond of both the seed as food and the down as nesting material.

Butterfly Weed

Butterfly Weed © 2008 Bo Mackison

Butterfly Weed, as the name implies, is an irresistible plant for butterflies. The huge domes make lovely landing pads and dining palaces for many adult butterflies and the foliage feeds the larvae of the monarchs. It is the orange member of the milkweed family.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace © 2008 Bo Mackison

Queen Anne’s Lace, also called Wild Carrot. Its leaves, stem and root taste and smell like the garden carrot, its taproot can be eaten as a vegetable or roasted as a “coffee”. And legend says that if the “flowers of the lace are mixed in sweet red wine and drunk long into the evening” it acts not only as a love potion, but also as a contraceptive. Can’t speak for or against that lore.

Milkweed

Milkweed © 2008 Bo Mackison

The Common Milkweed might as well be called the Monarch Butterfly Plant, as it is essential to all stages of that butterfly’s existence. They lay their eggs on the plant; the caterpillars spend their entire lives feeding on the leaves. Once mature, they build their chrysalises on the undersides of the leaves, and when the butterflies emerge from their cocoons, they feed on the flowers. The plant also provides protection to the Monarchs as the sap the caterpillars feed on is distasteful and keeps away predatory birds.

Exploding Seeds

Macro Milkweed Exploding Seeds

Milkweed Exploding Seeds © 2007

Exploding seed pods
Glimmering silk parachutes
They shoot forth white strands
attached to brown propellers.
Milky seeds shimmer in flight.

The milkweed plant offers a lovely show when it disperses its seeds. The above poem is a tanka; its form is 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.

Photographed at Governor Nelson State Park near Westport, Wisconsin in October, 2007.

To see an earlier set of photos of the life cycle of the milkweed plant – spring, summer and fall – go to http://gardengrow.wordpress.com/2007/09/06/milkweed-life-cycle/