Dragonfly Mobile

If there is any certain sign of springtime, it is the emergence of insects as they crawl, skitter, hover, buzz, zoom, slink and otherwise propel themselves into delicate new light. Many insects hibernate. As earth turns towards sky in days of increasing warmth, insects awaken in response to the quickening of nature. Once able, they emerge to seek air, light, warmth and most importantly, food. Like any hibernating animal, insects are somewhat fragile upon first flight after torpor, and if they don't feed within the advanced schedule dictated within their tiny metabolisms, they will not survive.

Curiously if understandably, humans have a love-hate relationship with bugs that most entomologists will tell you is not reciprocal in that, overall, insects intend no harm to our species. That said, it is admitted that some bugs such as termites, mosquitoes, bedbugs, and ticks, can do harm to humans or to our habitats. Still, that is nothing compared to the harm we do to the most plentiful species on earth - the tragic, if somewhat improving, fact of colony collapse disorder alone proves that. So while no one could in good conscience advise not to protect your family and home from harm, please think twice before swatting that housefly or squashing that centipede.

Due primarily to their physiology, and the fact that by definition they sneak up on us, insects touch off something primal in humans. For many, that expresses itself as fear, revulsion, the instinctive reaction to pull away in response to being startled. For many more, that expresses itself as fascination, study, respect, protection, and the other elements that equal advocacy. It is important that we not let our instinctive reaction to bugs -- or any other species -- mutate into an indifference to the importance of their  lives. Resources from programs at schools and museums to local garden clubs educate about bugs, and many titles are in print to learn about this incredibly diverse and mostly benevolent class. Some of the favorite books on the conservation shelves in our homekeeper's library are Maria Sibylla Merian's Insects of Surinam, The DK Bee Book, and a vintage treasure unearthed in a favorite used bookstore in Solvang, Cynthia Westcott's The Gardener's Bug Book.

As I've written before, as unpopular as insects can be, they are awfully popular as design inspiration. In a practice that goes as far back as the ancient Egyptian scarab, jewelers bejewel dragonflies and butterflies for brooches and enamel grasshoppers and beetles for trinket boxes. Home designers decorate the kitchen with ladybugs or bees. Even the Mason jars of twinkling lights that dot patios and nestle upon dining tables recall childhood summer evenings of catching fireflies.

In our urban home, dragonflies are welcome visitors to our patch of yard as they dart among the grass in stained glass shades of orange and red or blue and green. Dragonflies are fleeting visitors for they mind excessive heat and can never stray too far from a healthy water source, but their visiting season is all the more beautiful for its brevity. Every time one stops by, it is beatifying us with its friendly hello of cellophane wings and vibrant color. They buzz around for a few moments of friendliness, curiosity, even kinship -- and then they buzz away, their visit as poetic, breathtaking, and short-lived as these days of early spring.

To celebrate Earth Day, and insects and our conservation of them, here is a springtime craft project: a dragonfly mobile made of pretty paper, cellophane, and wire. Scrapbook paper works well for this craft; it is a good weight and you can use multiple patterns. This project incorporates many crafting skills including decoupage, wirework, even sewing. Don't be put off by the number of steps or the supplies list: this is a simple craft and all of these supplies are available at a crafts store such as Michael's. The staff at the crafts store can teach you how to use any of the tools or techniques you're not comfortable with, such as bending or stringing monfilament or safely using (and overseeing the usage of ) a craft knife.

Click here for a free printable download of the craft instructions and templates.