We at Post Carbon Institute have been talking recently about the Butterfly Effect, the theory that small changes in complex, dynamic systems can wind up having huge impacts.

But I’ve also been thinking a lot specifically about Monarch butterflies.

Every fall millions of Monarchs migrate up to 3,000 miles before repeating the journey again in early spring. Remarkably, no single butterfly makes the return journey. In fact, it can take as many as five generations of Monarchs to make the trip north to Canada, while a single “super generation” rides wind currents all the way home to central Mexico. 

Sometimes it feels our efforts at PCI are like one of those Monarchs heading north—struggling on paper-thin wings (in our case, paper-thin resources) against wind, weather, and predators to keep hope and possibility alive for future generations. And like the Monarch, we depend on countless companions like you to share the journey with us and, yes, to keep us moving.

If you value our efforts to arm millions of people with the understanding, inspiration, and tools they need to navigate their own challenging journey towards a sustainable, resilient, and just future, I hope you’ll consider making a donation today.

Photo: Alex Guillaume via Unsplash