Relocating the Pope

One of the greatest rewards of aging is the opportunity to witness the young generation fulfill their dreams and passions. In August of 1993, Pope John Paul II was coming to visit Denver, I was working for a dentist in the Denver area, and one of our patients was an eighth-grade Boy Scout thoroughly fascinated with butterflies.

The Visiting Pope

When Andy Warren came to our office for his checkup before the Pope’s arrival, I engaged him in conversation. “Too bad the Pope will be speaking on that hill at Cherry Creek State Park,” I said as I seated him in the dental chair. “There’ll be thousands of people there, and they’ll probably destroy the prairie dog colony in that area of the park.”

Andy thought for a moment before responding to my comment. “There’s an endangered butterfly on that hill,” he said. Andy knew what he was talking about because, even though he was still in middle school, his passion lay in butterflies and moths. He had collected and studied them extensively for several years. “I’ll write a letter about it,” he said.

Butterfly Hill

Because of Andy’s letter, the Pope was relocated to another area of the Park, and the hill he was to speak from was then named “Butterfly Hill.”

Inspired by the impact one young person can make, I have told that story to many people over the years. And during that span, I’ve seen Andy’s name as a graduate of Cornell University, as well as his name listed in several butterfly and insect books. This kid has made it! I reveled in that thought!

Twenty (plus) Years Later

Now, over 20 years later, while volunteering at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge 25 miles west of Daytona Beach, Florida, Chuck and I drove to Gainesville one day to tour the University of Florida’s natural history museum. As I examined a fossil display, Chuck watched pictures of staff members rotating on a TV screen. “Look at this!” he urged, drawing my attention away from the fossils. But I wasn’t in time to see what captivated him before the photo rotated. “One of the pictures had the name ‘Andy Warren’ under it,” Chuck said. He’d heard the story about the Pope many times before.

We waited while picture after picture displayed, each including the section of the museum where the person worked. After what seemed like 50 photos, finally the picture of Andy Warren returned, and under it was labeled “Butterflies and Moths.” We headed to the front desk to ask about him.

“He’s not in today,” we were told. But the receptionist gave us his email address, and we emailed Andy that evening. He soon responded. “I haven’t thought about that incident regarding the relocation of the Pope in a long time!” he wrote. “Hard to believe that was 21 years ago!”

Reconnecting with Andy

Andy invited us to a behind-the-scenes tour of butterflies and moths at the Museum next time we were in Gainesville, and we recently were able to connect with him. My first question after we met up was, “How did you get interested in butterflies?”

“Mom collected butterflies as a kid,” he said. “She made nets for my brother and I and took us out looking for butterflies.” He began teaching two classes as a junior in high school: Butterfly Adventures & Insect Explorations. Continuing to pursue this passion after graduating from Cornell University, Andy received his PhD from Oregon State University, followed by a post-doctorate at the University of Florida in Gainesville and another post-doctorate at the University of Mexico in Mexico City.

Now as Senior Collections Manager at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity in the Florida Museum of National History at the University of Florida campus, Andy remains humble. “Basically my job is to get the bugs where they need to go,” he says. “I’m the dead bug guy.”

Right for the Job

But as we toured the three floors of “dead bugs” with Andy and he pulled out drawer after drawer of specimens, it became clear that his job requires a great degree of experience and expertise. And there is no doubt in our minds that, with his passion and commitment, Andy is the perfect fit!