There is something truly magical when a person discovers their life-long passion at a young age. In this week’s Truly Genius Tuesday, we are exploring the butterfly effect of Patch and her love of nature.
Edith Marion Patch was born in Worcester, Massachusetts as the youngest of six children. Edith’s family moved to Minnesota when she was eight years old. Her family owned large prairie property which is where she discovered her love for nature.
The Butterfly Effect of Patch
The inspiration behind our Genius Series print came from the prize-winning essay on monarch butterflies Edith Patch wrote for an essay contest in high school. She used her prize money of $25 to purchase the scholarly Manual for the Study of Insects, written by John Henry Comstock and illustrated by Anna Botsford Comstock. As a fun twist of fate, or maybe even the butterfly effect, Patch later became colleagues and life-long friends with the Comstocks while working with John Comstock during her time at Cornell University.
For the love of bugs
Patch graduated with a degree in English from University of Minnesota and became a teacher, but soon found a love for nature, bugs and ecology and decided to pursue a career in entomology. However, as a woman, Patch found it difficult to find a job in this field. Though she was repeatedly rejected, she never gave up and eventually her persistence paid off. Patch was later offered an unpaid position teaching English and Entomology by Charles Woods of the University of Maine. She accepted simply to enter the field.
A year later, Patch was formally appointed as the Assistant Professor of Entomology at the University of Maine. There, she earned her master’s degree and she continued teaching until her retirement in 1937. In 1930, at a time when there were not many woman in her field, Patch was elected the first woman President of the Entomological Society of America.
Sharing her passion with the world
Patch had a special ability to share scientific ideas to people of all ages. She published her first children’s book – Dame Bug and Her Babies – in 1913; beginning her lifelong mission to write accurate stories that inspired curiosity in children. She believed that nature was a child’s greatest teacher and that appreciation of the natural world didn’t need to remain exclusive to the scientists.
“One of Patch’s greatest strengths was her understanding of the power of story. As a scientist, she herself was drawn to investigate nature’s ever-unfolding story,” said Mary Bird, a member of the organization Friends of Edith Patch, which is dedicated to celebrating and continuing her legacy.
The butterfly effect of Patch is still echoing today; her depth of work in Entomology and the incredible strides she made overcoming gender barriers in her field of study made a huge impact on the world. She never lost focus of sharing her passion for science and the natural world with others. We are so proud that Patch is part of our Genius Series.
Add Patch to your stash!
In honor of this inspiring genius and beautiful print, we’ve taken $2 off the following Patch cloth diapers and accessories, TODAY ONLY!
- bumGenius 4.0 cloth diapers
- bumGenius Elemental 2 cloth diapers
- bumGenius Outing Wet Bags
- Genius Series Tees
Please note: All Genius Series prints are limited edition and available only while supplies last.
Time for a giveaway!
And of course, there’s the giveaway. For a chance to win this week’s Truly Genius Tuesday Prize Pack, including a Patch bumGenius Freetime cloth diaper, bumGenius Outing Wet Bag & Genius Series Tee, tell us what your little one’s favorite insect is!
Eligible entries must be posted no later than midnight Central Time, Tuesday, April 4, 2017. U.S. residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. Winners will be drawn after the close of the contest and notified via email. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. All prizes must be claimed within 30 days of end of giveaway.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Marion_Patch
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/patch-em.html
https://entomologytoday.org/2015/08/13/remembering-edith-patch-the-first-female-president-of-the-entomological-society-of-america/
About the Author
Libby is the marketing director for Cotton Babies. She's an obsessed auntie to three super fun kids. She loves coffee, chocolate, and singing Broadway show tunes.
Comments
68 Comments
I like this post, enjoyed this one thanks for putting up.
ladybugs, we love them here.
My LO loves lady bugs!
My son loves bees. His grandparents have bees on their flower farm ?
My daughter loves the monarch butterfly. She was dressed as one for Halloween a few years ago 🙂
spiders! we keep a few around to catch bugs and she always says they’re sad and that she wants to read them books…. we like her 🙂
My son loves finding and playing with ladybugs
We’re looking forward to leaning more about butterflies by raising some this year!
butterfly.. is that an insect?!
Our favorite are fireflies!!
I’m not the biggest fan of bugs, but my husband and daughter love them! My husband likes praying mantis, which I’ll admit are pretty cool, and my daughter loves hissing cockroaches, which… Isn’t so cool.
My daughter hasn’t really taken notice to insects yet, but I like the honey bee, because they give us yummy honey and help pollinate plants and trees.
bumblebee
My daughter loves ladybugs!
My son loves watching ladybugs!
I like dragonflies! especially the small brightly colored ones
pretty sure he’s too little to have one yet. 🙂
My son’s favorite is a spider..YUCK!!! lol I would have to say mine is a butterfly!!
My little girl loves ladybugs!
Ladybugs
Butterflies!
Butterflies!
My kids are fascinated by ladybugs and dragonflies.
My grand daughters favorite insect is the lady bug.
My little girl is to young to have a favorite insect but she has lots clothes with butterflies and bees and ladybugs ?
Butterfly
I’m not sure what my son’s favorite insect is yet, he’s too little to know 🙂
My little one likes to watch anything that moves and is big enough to catch his attention.
She loves butterflies and ladybugs!
We have Patch in a Flip, and my little one just had a butterfly on her first birthday cake!
My favorite insect is a bee!
I love patch soo much! Thankyou!
Butterflies! And bees because they make honey. Just about every other insect creeps me out! ???
We love BEES 🙂
Mine is afraid of most bugs but he lives lady bugs!
We have a lot of spiders three stories up on our window screens, so we see The Itsy Bitsy Spider every day.
My daughter loves bees since I told her they make honey. I love butterflies and my son he’s too little to have a favorite yet.
Butterflies are so beautiful and this diaper captures that beauty!
forgot to say that my little one loves to find ladybugs in our house and walk around with them on his finger
lovely print!
My kiddos love roly poly bugs!
Lately kiddo’s been all about ants. 🙂
My girls don’t have a favorite yet (they are still babies), but their room, clothes, etc. is all butterflies!
My daughter loves lady bugs.
Ladybugs are a favorite around here, although all my kids also go through a phase of having an odd affinity for stink bugs!
Ladybugs are her favorite! Same as mommy. 🙂
My little ones love butterflies!
My favorite is the red velvet ant (which is actually a ground wasp). They’re gorgeous, but have a nasty sting. My daughter is fascinated by butterflys.
My littles love lady bugs, butterflies and roly pollies.
we love bees and butterflies!
Alvaro’s favorite insects are definitely the ants ♥
My little lady is fascinated by butterflies and really any kind of bug she can pick up!!
My daughter loves to watch ants, and we call my son my little bee. But we love Patch and put our Patch Flip on both of them!
My 7 month old doesn’t have a favorite insect yet. I suppose it will be whichever one she tries to eat first!
My daughter loves lady bugs and looks all over the house to find them. Her older brother goes along on her bug safaris, but is more into praying mantis these days.
My little one is too little to have a favorite insect but her Patch Flip diaper is adorable!
Nate’s favorite kind of bug is caterpillars. Gabe’s favorite kind is ants.
I have a flip cover in this print! Love the colors and the butterfly wing detail is gorgeous!
My little ones favorite bug in the roly-poly.
My daughter loves ladybugs and I like bees!
My kids actually love butterflies!
My baby is too little to have a favorite bug – but every so often she notices my tattoos, so maybe the bed will be her favorite.
My LO is only 11 months old right now but he certainly loves ANYTHING tiny, so I’m looking forward to Spring this year to take him out into the tulips and show him all the beautiful butterflies and ladybugs!
PS I pinned the image on pinterest but it was the picture of martin not patch.
Hi Jillian, we apologize for the error. It’s been corrected. 🙂
Bees! A few of my family are beekeeper’s and we love honey!
Both of my lo’s favirite insect is of course a beautiful butterfly. I think it is because of all the beautiful colors ??❤?
We studied “I is for Insect” recently for homeschool. My little was not amused. She HATES bugs.. However, she does love butterflies!