Artist Statement

Through My Lens is a celebration of the success of biodiverse gardening, inspired by the monarchs I discovered in my own backyard. It tells the compelling story of the monarch butterfly’s lifecycle—from larva to adult and through its remarkable migration journey. It highlights the monarch’s struggles, the multiple generations that thrive in Minnesota each year, and the awe-inspiring “super generation” that migrates to Mexico in the fall and returns north in the spring.

My story began with a volunteer milkweed that found its way into my flower border in 2016. I soon rediscovered my childhood love of butterflies, especially the monarch. I quickly became a citizen scientist – observing, recording, and sharing my data with monarch researchers. I let my milkweed patch grow and by planting additional native plants, increased my garden’s biodiversity. My garden now provides much needed habitat with 20-30 wild-reared monarchs eclosing each year. This collection captures some of their stories.

Accompanying each photograph is a poem, giving voice to the monarch butterfly and inviting viewers to connect emotionally with its plight. The poems represent the subjects’ stories beyond the still image. I want you to hear each image and understand the stories between the clicks. I speak from the perspective of the subject, telling its story in first person.

Monarchs, and all of our precious pollinators, need our help. The time to act is now and we need more people to realize that individual actions can lead to a collective impact. I need your help to plant new gardens and to add biodiversity to existing gardens.