Richmond Birdwing Butterfly

Click hMerril and I were booked into a Richmond Birdwing Butterfly course.  Richmond Birdwing Butterfly is a lot to type.  It is words of 8, 8, and 9 letters.  So if I need to type Richmond Birdwing Butterfly again, I hope you don’t mind if I type RBB.  If you see RBB it will stand for Richmond Birdwing Butterfly.  I have no idea if I will need to type it again.  I knew that was too big.  I need a rest already.
We love the RBB, but we did not want to go really. It was from 11 – 3.  We though “that is over lunch.”  If they are not providing lunch, we won’t go.  We looked at the ticket. “Lunch Provided.”  Rats, but not rats.  I like lunch.  On that basis, we thought we would go, as often they cater based on the number of people who said they would go. 
So we went.  I must confess I was interested, but I was mostly interested in lunch.  There were more people there than I thought would be.  We eco-warriors were interested.  Actually, eco-warrior does probably not describe me.  I tend to shy away from “person of interest” as it is often used in a context I would prefer not to be associated with.  Maybe “someone who is interested if there is nothing else happening, and it is no trouble” best describes me.
They were late starting but soon after 11am they got underway.  Five minutes had gone by and I was ready for lunch.  Still the same speaker spoke.  Then he finished.  Lunch?  No. Another speaker spoke.  Then another speaker.  They were losing me fast.  Finally someone said “I will speak on this, and then we will break for lunch.”  I sat up.  I confess he had me at “lunch.”  I was all ears.  People had questions.  Questions?  This is not time for questions!  It is time for lunch!
The RBB is endemic to around here.  It used to found from northern NSW to around Maryborough.  Clearing has meant there are areas in that corridor where it has not been seen.  It is sort of up against it, as there is one vine it lays its eggs on, and then eats.  So many of them have gone.  Not only that, there is a vine that really looks like it and is poisonous.    RBB lay their eggs on it and the caterpillars eat the leaves and die.  The flower is pretty, and it was recommended as a home plant for a long time.
I think I have one at my other place.  It is called Dutchman’s Pipe and was recommended to me because it had a pretty flower.  It does.  But I did not know it was a killer.  I will get rid of it.
At home Merril and I have four of the appropriate vines.  We bought them to attract the RBB.  Apparently they will travel up to 30 klms to a food source.  We are hoping there is one within 30 klms of here.  We see plenty of other butterflies.  In fact, we delight in identifying what we see.   Caterpillars eat some leaves but it is not like every plant on our property is stripped bare.  We would probably be less understanding if that was the case.  We keep the use of chemicals to an absolute minimum.  Some places are pristine but sterile.  Insects tend not to be seen there.  Our place could be called many things, but never pristine.
Lunch was good.  Worth the wait?  Yes.  But I would have preferred not to wait.ere to edit.