About Me
I always had a love for nature, so in the late summer of 2001 I decided I wanted to see lots of butterflies like I used to as a child. What would I do? I’d create a butterfly garden. That winter I did a lot of research on the internet to find out what kind of plants I would need. In the spring of 2002, I met Lois Hansen. She gave me a list of necessary plants for my area, some plants from her garden, and my very first two Monarch eggs. Along with the eggs, Lois brought over several books for me to read about butterflies. That was it. I was hooked. From then on I began reading every book I could find about butterflies. Each year, I plant a bigger variety of host and nectar plants. I bring in most of the eggs I can find so I can raise a variety of butterflies.
I am the author of "Learn About Butterflies in the Garden", a Co-founder and the President of Southeast Michigan Butterfly Association (SEMBA), a member of North American Butterfly Association (NABA), Wild Ones, and Wildflower Association of Michigan (WAM). I’m an Advanced Master Gardener and was awarded “Master Gardener of the Year 2007” for Wayne County by Michigan State University Extension. The Master Gardener Association of Wayne County awarded me the MGAWC 2008 Dean Krauskopf, Ph.D. Educational Outreach Award. My yard is certified by SEMBA as a Native Butterfly Garden, Monarch Watch as a Monarch Waystation and the National Wildlife Federation as a Wildlife Habitat. From 2002 through 2011, I have raised over 3513 butterflies.
I have given lectures at Master Gardener meetings, nurseries, garden clubs, Wild Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes, DTE Energy Company, Canton City Leisure Services, and schools on butterfly gardening. I also had a program “How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden” on Westland Public TV - WLND, which was filmed while I was giving a talk at the Westland Public Library. Several newspapers have written stories about my Butterfly Garden. I try to share my knowledge about butterfly plants and rearing butterflies with as many people as I can. We need to give back to the earth. We can do this by planting the native plants that were intended to be here. Native plants have higher nectar content than most non-natives and they produce a healthy ecosystem by attracting a wider variety of birds and insects, which enhance the biodiversity.