File:Wings for Ukraine (52162923271).jpg

This is a very small portion of the wing of a Euphaedra ignota, a species of butterfly endemic to Ghana. Many species in the Euphaedra genus of butterflies have scales coloured both blue and yellow, sometimes directly interacting with each-other. At this scale, the blue also reveals some royal purple hues as well, and the yellows hold more depth and appear golden. The colour palette for this image should be no surprise; I specifically sourced these butterflies for an entry in my Support for Ukraine series.

This image should serve as a reminder that the fate of peace in Europe is being determined by a senselessly bloody and destructive war of attrition in Ukraine. From friends and family I talk to from Canada and the US, I hear that the conflict is barely discussed in the news, as the sensationalist cycle of current events hold viewer’s attention more than a protracted conflict. I suppose, then, it needs to be repeated: innocence is being irrevocably destroyed in a generation of children, lives ruined and lost, all in an attempt to wipe Ukraine from existence.

I’m glad that some of the supplies we have purchased have ended up at the front lines in the Izyum region. We have more funds arriving in about a week, which will be spent on medical, surgical and power-related supplies for citizen soldiers. We will continue to provide aid as we are able, and genuinely appreciate all of the support for these efforts. There’s always more to do. The only reason why the Ukrainian heroes have been able to successfully fight for their country is because the free world as (an almost) whole has decided to help. Some efforts are too small, or too late, and the battle drags on slowly as a result.

Putin’s forces are being decimated, in part from advanced weapons but also due to the skillful and cunning tactics of the Ukrainian people. Ukrainian forces are also being destroyed on an unsustainable scale; It’s forever an uphill battle against a superior force, especially one that cannot be reasoned with. It’s likely that we will see the intensity of fighting increase dramatically in the coming days, due to Putin’s desire to control the whole of the Luhansk Oblast (Province) before his demoralized troops desert in larger quantities.

It's easy to consider this a distant conflict, but it’s already in our own communities with the cost of fuel, and soon the increased cost of food. Write to your politicians to make it known that we do not help Ukraine in every way possible, to win this war as quickly as possible, the global impact will be severe. Everyone, please keep doing what you can. Do not forget about Ukraine when they need us the most.

This image was photographed with a Mitutoyo Plan APO 50x objective, then cropped in to roughly create the equivalent of a 100x magnification. 650 frames were stacked using Helicon Focus. The company that makes Helicon Focus, HeliconSoft, is based on Kharkiv, Ukraine. It’s my preferred software for very large stacks of images in combination with Photoshop for clean-up work. If you haven’t used it before, give it a trial and support a Ukrainian company: <a href="https://www.heliconsoft.com/" rel="noreferrer nofollow">www.heliconsoft.com/</a> - they also have a list of people they recommend donations go forwards on their website.