Monarch butterfly on final days of September 2009 shows the perseverance of all earth's life in fighting to the end to survive and reproduce just one more time.

Despite damaged wings, a migrating male monarch butterfly at World Peace Wetland Prairie collects nectar in preparation for the long flight to Mexico. If he can keep up with the other migrants and survive a hard winter in a Mexican tree and fly back to the U.S. in April or May he may father a new few members of a new generation. Or maybe his time has about passed and he won't be among the chosen (or selected). But failing to persevere isn't a concept that he understands.