Episode 84: Bullet With Butterfly Wings

On this episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast, host Joe Buccino is joined by his friend and frequent collaborator Jeremiah Meaney. These two men bravely walk deep into the woods of Fort Bragg (they actually almost got hopelessly lost) in search of one of the rarest creatures on Earth: the Saint Francis Satyr butterfly (actually, a caterpillar that will transform into the butterfly). There's one particular portion of the Fort Bragg training area that, by happenstance, manifests the perfect combination of manmade disturbances to allow this butterfly to exist and reproduce. In fact, this little bit of Fort Bragg is the only place the Saint Francis Satyr still exists. Joe and Jeremiah are joined by three guests, to include WNYC Radiolab's Latif Nasser and Nick Haddad, author of the 2019 book "The Last Butterflies: A Scientist's Quest to Save a Rare and Vanishing Creature."  While this episode is lighthearted, it features big concepts, including man's role in the ecosystem and the US military's responsibility to wildlife. This is a WILD episode of the 18th Airborne Corps podcast. LISTEN to the first five minutes and you'll be hooked. CHECK IT OUT and SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.