Very Happy Butterfly

a monarch photo journal

In 2005, I began raising monarch butterflies in my Minnesota backyard. Very Happy Butterfly is my Instagram-hosted photo journal, through which I archived my entire process from May to September, 2023.

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A backyard garden with two raised wooden beds, one containing small plants and the other with no plants. There's a black cat sitting on the middle step of the scattered wooden frame structure, which is being assembled. Gardening tools and gloves are
A small garden bed with young green plants, bordered by wooden planks. A decorative birdhouse is placed among the plants, and a green garden hose is visible on the right side. The garden bed has dark soil with a few stepping stones.
Close-up of a person touching the underside of a fig leaf, showing green leaves with prominent veins.
Close-up of a green leaf with textured veins and a tiny white insect or mite on its surface.
Close-up of green leaves with prominent veins, placed on a grey surface.
Close-up of green leaves with a black and yellow striped caterpillar on one leaf.
Green leafy plant with large leaves on a brick sidewalk next to a clear plastic container and a piece of cardboard.
Clear plastic cup with a logo from Unmapped Brewing Co. Minnesota. Inside the cup is a fresh green leaf and some water, placed on a concrete surface.
A caterpillar with yellow, black, and white stripes on a green leaf with textured surface.
A yellow and black caterpillar with black horns on a green leaf that has a large irregular hole in it.
A caterpillar with black, yellow, and white stripes on a green plant leaf.
A monarch caterpillar with black, yellow, and white stripes crawling on a green leaf.
A green chrysalis hanging from a white string attached to a wood ceiling.
A butterfly chrysalis hanging from a string with green plants in the background.
A Monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis hanging from a wooden structure, with green foliage in the background.
A monarch butterfly perched on an orange flower in a garden with green grass and blurred plants in the background.