Would You Die for a Butterfly?
Would you give your life for a butterfly?
That’s the question, asked obliquely, by a new documentary on Netflix I think might interest you.
The documentary, The Guardian of the Monarchs, tells the story of Homero Gómez González, though it’s really the tale of environmental activists around the world who are putting their lives in danger.
I’m guessing you aren’t aware of Homero. I first learned of him years ago from Naily Nevarez when I interviewed her for a position at Oliver Russell. She had created a moving video project about him, Tribute to Homero, while she was an undergraduate at the University of Oregon.
I was inspired by Homero’s story, which led to his inclusion on our large-scale public art project here in Boise, Inspiration Alley.
Homero was an environmental activist and manager of the El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, part of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico. Homero, formerly a logger, was passionate about the butterflies – he called them “brides of the sun.” – If you watch the documentary, you’ll find the imagery of Homero and the Monarch Butterflies in the Preserve to be both haunting and ethereal.
One of Homero’s primary duties was protecting this winter nesting habitat from illegal logging. This put him in the sights of dangerous elements in Mexico, most likely drug cartels that have moved into the business of logging and subsequent avocado farming on harvested lands. The cartels have increasingly targeted environmental guardians, civic activists, and human rights advocates for violence because these committed individuals create friction in the money-making machinery.
Most of the lumber from Michoacán is exported to the United States, and we all know how popular avocados have become here, moving from what once was an exotic to a daily staple in many homes. There will be one in my salad tonight, as there are most nights.
Homero disappeared on January 13, 2020, and after an extensive search was found two weeks later, floating dead in a well with a head wound suffered before his death. While his death was officially labeled an accidental drowning, it’s clear to the logical mind that he was murdered. Another Butterfly Sanctuary activist, Raúl Hernández Romer, was also found dead several days later.
While Homero’s story is one of the better known – and even at that, not well known enough – this is the fate of many brave souls who pursue environmental activism at threat of death. Over the past decade, nearly 2,000 people have been murdered or “disappeared,” most of them in Latin America.
Each of us contributes, even if indirectly and unknowingly, to the horrific circumstances in Mexico and beyond – for most, this conjures our country’s drug epidemic, but it extends to home remodeling projects using imported lumber, or yes, eating a slice of avocado toast for breakfast.
I so admire these activists who put everything on the line and stand in awe – perhaps one of the few occasions worthy of that overused descriptor – of their courage. My question to you – and I don’t have an answer – is what can we do to help protect environmentalists around the world?
Just as my cursor jumped to a new paragraph, a thought bubble popped up – perhaps a solid first step for those of us with businesses is to join 1% for the Planet and contribute to its vetted network of nonprofits in Mexico and across Latin America. A quick search results in relevant nonprofit partners in the 1% network, from climate to marine ecosystems to – yes – a nonprofit working for zero deforestation in Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico.
Vaya con Dios, Homero.
Godspeed, friends.
Russ
P.S. In response to last week's issue about my new coworking hub for community impact, a couple of you suggested crowdfunding as a potential avenue to secure much-needed working capital. Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts?
💬 Quote of the Week
“Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.” Rumi
💥 Quick Hits
• Saddle up – I love inspiring stories about women in business, and this profile in the New York Times is close to my heart; it’s unexpected and from a remote valley in the Idaho I truly love.
• Blend with Mother Nature and celebrate life – Grab a cup of coffee or tea, sit back, and immerse yourself in Tom Greenwood's beautiful essay about the indigenous wisdom of the Hopi and their 11 Instructions for a Better Future.
• A quick shout-out – Goes to Diane Ronayne, who just joined the Godspeed community as a paid supporter. Thanks for helping fill up the tank, Diane!
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