I own a 900 sq. ft. house with a small, but lush backyard. Maybe it’s a first-time homebuyer thing, but I feel fully responsible for all the life on this tiny lot. I don’t use chemicals and I choose native plants for my garden. What more can I do, to influence the state of the globe? My only control is within the one tiny city lot with my name on it. Even with a bona fide field of dandelions I rarely see a true honeybee anymore.
My garden is full of plants you might see in the meadow or on the shore of the Ohio River. The giant Joe Pye Weed is taller than me by mid-summer with bulbous pink flower heads. I imagine it’s like an ultraviolet beacon to butterflies passing overhead, because they often stop by my yard for an afternoon of snacking on their way to wherever they’re going.
Once I noticed the butterflies were attracted to multiple plants in my garden, I decided to add some butterfly weed the next spring (about $5 per plant at my local nursery). It’s not for me, it’s for the planet, right?
The miracle of butterfly weed and other members of genus Asclepias is that monarch butterflies can’t exist without it. It is the only food monarch caterpillars can eat and the only place adults will lay eggs.
Finally, on a hot afternoon in August 2019, I discovered an army of just-hatched caterpillars attacking my milkweed. What joy! And what pride to know that I myself have the power to help out a species facing extinction. If I contribute nothing in life but a safe space for this clutch of eggs, I will know that I have been a steward for life on this planet.
After hatching, the caterpillars grew every day. It was difficult to get a great photo because they devoured all of the beautiful orange flowers first and they left huge amounts of poop wherever they went. They were like little elongated PAC-MANs ceaselessly munching along.
The ones who ate the fastest, grew the biggest and soon we had at least three fresh green chrysalises hanging in the garden. We could watch their colors change through that thin green membrane and we knew when it was time to hatch by that unmistakable monarch pattern showing through.
They each hatched on a different day and spent that day lounging in my garden, sunning their wings on the fence and relaxing in the Joe Pye Weed. And then they were gone. The fourth generation since their ancestors left Mexico in the spring, they were out in the world alone. Soon the weather would shift and the days would get shorter. I hope they found a place to lay their eggs.
Since “the babies” destroyed the butterfly weed I had planted in 2019, I bought a few more plants to supplement the following year. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any caterpillars in 2020. I have continued to tend to the butterfly weed and make choices for my garden that I hope will benefit life on this planet in some way. I recently divided the Joe Pye Weed so now I have two massive butterfly beacons.
In this hopeless world where we’re more accustomed to death and dying than we are to the fullness of life, we all find comfort in different things. For me, I find comfort in my wild little garden. It’s never really been about having a perfect or pretty garden. The time and effort I invest is an act of prayer and penance for our great planet. What else can I give, poor as I am? I plant Asclepias tuberosa.
About the Creator
Jessica D.
As a professional woman with a wife, a dog, and a picket fence, writing is a way to unwind and share. I am interested in the topics of feminism, pantheism, socialism, mental health awareness, native gardening, raw dog food, and baking.
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Honey, I Shrunk the Datacentres: Is Small the New Big?
When most people think of datacentres, they picture sprawling warehouses full of servers, humming fans, and mountains of cabling. These massive facilities power everything from Netflix streams to artificial intelligence, but they also consume enormous amounts of energy and space. Now, a new trend is emerging: micro-datacentres. Tiny, modular, and often portable, these “datacentre in a box” solutions are challenging the old assumption that bigger is always better. Could small really be the new big in the world of computing? What Are Micro-Datacentres? Micro-datacentres are compact computing hubs designed to perform the same essential functions as traditional datacentres but in a fraction of the space. Think of them as miniaturized cloud factories — smaller, energy-efficient, and often placed closer to the users they serve. Key characteristics include: Compact size: Often no larger than a shipping container or even a cabinet. Energy efficiency: Use less power by focusing on localized computing needs. Modularity: Can be scaled horizontally by adding more units rather than expanding a single huge facility. Edge computing readiness: Positioned closer to where data is generated, reducing latency for IoT devices, AI applications, and streaming services. In short, micro-datacentres take the power of traditional computing and shrink it to fit modern, flexible infrastructure demands. Why Companies Are Embracing Smaller Datacentres There are several reasons the tech world is warming up to smaller datacentres: Energy and Cost Savings – Traditional datacentres consume massive amounts of electricity, sometimes as much as a small town. Micro-datacentres use less power and generate less heat, reducing both energy bills and cooling costs. Local Speed and Low Latency – For applications like AI, gaming, and streaming, milliseconds matter. By placing computing resources closer to users, micro-datacentres reduce latency and improve performance. Flexibility and Rapid Deployment – Big datacentres take years to build. Micro-datacentres can be deployed in weeks, allowing companies to respond quickly to spikes in demand or to expand into new regions. Resilience and Redundancy – Smaller, distributed units reduce the risk of a single point of failure. If one micro-datacentre goes down, others can pick up the load. Sustainability Goals – With energy efficiency at their core, micro-datacentres are often paired with renewable energy, making them an attractive option for companies seeking greener operations. From Data Warehouses to Data Cabinets Historically, the datacentre arms race has been about size. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft built massive facilities housing hundreds of thousands of servers. These centers achieved economies of scale but came with high energy use, long construction timelines, and heavy regulatory scrutiny. Micro-datacentres, on the other hand, flip the script: instead of one mega-facility, you deploy many smaller units closer to users. This is sometimes called edge computing, and it’s particularly useful for AI applications, smart cities, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Imagine self-driving cars, smart traffic lights, or factory robots. These devices generate enormous amounts of data that can’t be efficiently sent to a distant datacentre for processing. A nearby micro-datacentre solves the problem in real-time, enabling faster decisions and smoother operations. Real-World Examples Several companies are already experimenting with smaller datacentres: Google’s Edge Nodes: Google has deployed compact datacentres in regional locations to speed up cloud services. Microsoft Azure Stack Edge: A modular datacentre solution that brings cloud computing capabilities closer to businesses. Amazon Web Services (AWS) Snowcone: A portable computing and storage unit that can operate in remote or temporary locations. Even municipalities and hospitals are exploring micro-datacentres for localized applications like traffic management, healthcare data storage, and emergency services. Challenges of Going Small While micro-datacentres have many advantages, they’re not without challenges: Limited capacity: They can’t match the raw scale of traditional datacentres, so some large-scale AI training tasks still require mega-facilities. Security concerns: Smaller units distributed across many locations require robust cybersecurity protocols. Maintenance and monitoring: Managing multiple small units can be more complex than running a centralized datacentre. Energy trade-offs: If not designed efficiently, multiple micro-datacentres can sometimes use more energy than a single optimized large facility. Despite these challenges, many experts argue that the benefits — speed, flexibility, and reduced environmental impact — outweigh the downsides for many applications. Why “Small” Could Be the Future The rise of micro-datacentres signals a broader shift in how we think about computing infrastructure. Instead of centralized, monolithic powerhouses, the future may look like a network of small, smart, and sustainable units. This trend aligns with several larger tech movements: Edge computing – Computing closer to the user or device. Green technology – Reducing energy consumption and carbon footprints. AI proliferation – Handling massive data loads locally to enable faster processing. For companies, governments, and communities, the message is clear: smaller doesn’t mean weaker — it can mean smarter, faster, and more adaptable. Conclusion: Small but Mighty Micro-datacentres may not replace all mega-facilities, but they are carving out an essential niche in the computing ecosystem. They offer speed, flexibility, and sustainability that large datacentres can’t always provide, particularly for localized applications and edge computing. As technology evolves and energy concerns intensify, these “datacentres in a box” could become a core component of how we process, store, and access data in the 21st century. So the next time someone asks if small is the new big, the answer might just be yes — at least when it comes to datacentres.
By Muhammad Hassan4 days ago in Earth
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