Australian Geographic

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT

“WE NEED MORE WATER!” cries out a member of the Girl Guides group as the last drops spill from her bucket. Her friend sets off to find more. Someone else calls, “Does anyone have the string?”

“Yes, over here!” comes the reply. “Remember, the vines are fragile, so be gentle.”

It’s a warm Sunday morning in bushland in Brisbane’s west, and these Girl Guides are working hard with the help of khaki-clad volunteers from Habitat Brisbane. We’re here because the local Kenmore Girl Guides have secured a mini-grant from the Roots & Shoots Program. Set up by famed conservationist Jane Goodall, it aims to support grass-roots and community environmental projects and these girls have decided they want to use their funds to help save the endangered Richmond birdwing butterfly.

These small grants are worth just a few hundred dollars each but,

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