Puddling About

Although we are experiencing a moment of spring showers and light snow, the drought continues unabated. I am concerned for the land and animals this year, imagining dried flora and parched throats. The mule deer in our neighborhood are lucky to have irrigated gardens to munch on, but that won’t last forever. I see water rationing lurking on the horizon. As we slide into a changing climate, I think the best we can do is be mindful of our water consumption and help the plants and critters around us—if we are able.

I recently learned a technique to help pollinators and other tiny flying insects get the moisture they need to survive. It is named after the butterfly behavior of puddling. Puddling, sometimes referred to as “mud-puddling,” is a behavior observed primarily in male butterflies. It involves the act of congregating around puddles, damp soil, or even animal droppings. Butterflies use their proboscis, a long, straw-like mouthpart, to absorb essential nutrients from the surface.

Puddling serves several functions in butterfly life: mineral uptake (especially sodium), hydration, and social interaction. We humans can support this by simply providing a puddle where none exist. We made a little puddling station in our garden with a twelve-inch terracotta planter base filled with small pebbles, a bit of dirt, water, and a small pinch of salt. Other insects also benefit from this oasis when they need water and minerals. It is the least we can do to help the little life forms upon which we depend for our own survival. Simply stated: no pollinators, no food.

I think it’s important to give back to our earthly home; all the life forms and environments that surround us, nurture us, and teach us. If we can only provide water for one butterfly—that is enough to create a ripple of loving kindness in the world. Of course, we can do more through every loving act we perform. But offering something simple as a puddle, something outside our usual activity, may contribute to a more profound understanding of the depth of our interconnections.
 
As a butterfly flutters by
I am more in love with the world