Seeing the black-and-orange wings of a threatened Monarch butterfly in Hollis Garden, I felt lucky.
The majestic insect paused briefly on the garden’s dwarf poinciana tree before fluttering away. I had to move quickly to get a photo.
On my way out of the garden, I glimpsed another, smaller butterfly: mostly black with specks of blue and a blotch of red. Like the Monarch, it was fleeting, but I didn’t worry about a picture. I was there for the Monarchs.
It wasn’t until later that I learned this, too, was a significant encounter with a species not just threatened but once considered extinct…