Grow a Butterfly—
Restore a Little Wild
Sponsor a butterfly for $9/month and follow its journey from egg to flight. Your support plants native host and nectar gardens, nurtures caterpillars safely, and helps us release healthy pollinators back into the world.
How It Works
You Join
Choose a monthly sponsorship. We match you with a butterfly cohort and add you to real-time updates.
We Nurture
Mianna raises caterpillars in a safe, pesticide-free environment, feeds them host plants, and documents key moments—egg, instars, chrysalis, release.
You See It Take Flight
Follow along to watch the butterflies take flight–And get a shout out!
Why it matters?
Butterflies are more than beautiful—they’re pollinators and indicators of ecosystem health. Healthy butterfly populations usually mean healthy native plant communities.
Today, habitat loss, pesticides, and invasive plants reduce the food and shelter butterflies need.
Planting native host and nectar gardens and raising caterpillars safely to release supports biodiversity, helps pollinate wildflowers and home gardens, and teaches kids (and grown-ups!) how nature renews itself.
Your sponsorship helps us:
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Host plants are the nursery. They’re the only leaves many caterpillars can eat, and where butterflies lay eggs. Your $9 helps us add and care for region-appropriate natives so every stage—egg to munching caterpillar—has what it needs to thrive.
Examples we plant (by species needs): milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), passionvine, parsley/dill/fennel for swallowtails, spicebush/sassafras, violets, and more—chosen for our local ecology and season.
Member impact: more eggs found, higher survival in early instars, stronger releases.
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Raising caterpillars outdoors can be risky—predators, parasites, storms, and pesticides. We use breathable, easy-clean enclosures, fresh host cuttings, and daily care routines that keep them hydrated, fed, and safe until release.
What this funds: rearing tents, cups/mesh lids, misting bottles, sanitized feeding stations, and backup host cuttings so no caterpillar goes hungry.
Member impact: fewer losses, healthier chrysalides, better wing quality at emergence.
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Every cohort becomes a living lesson. We photograph key moments (egg, instars, chrysalis, eclose) and turn them into bite-size updates, printable species cards, and classroom demos that spark curiosity and stewardship.
What you receive: real-time photo/video updates, a keepsake postcard with species facts, and simple “plant-at-home” tips for families and schools.
Member impact: more people planting natives, fewer pesticides used, a community that knows how to help.
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Release is just the beginning. Adults need nectar, water, and shelter to keep flying. We grow pesticide-free garden beds with staggered blooms so butterflies can refuel after release and find habitat throughout the season.
What we add: native nectar flowers, shallow water dishes with stones, host plant patches, and seasonal succession planting for continuous bloom.
Member impact: higher post-release survival, more pollination in local yards, and a healthier urban/rural ecosystem.
Behind the Butterflies
Hi, I’m Mianna—a mom, gardener, and big believer in small, repeatable acts. This all started with my tiny-home mission: learning to live lighter, grow my own food, and restore the little patch of earth under my feet.
That seed became Mi’Dee Girl: a pesticide-free release garden powered by native plants and community support.
Today I nurture caterpillars to adulthood, plant host/nectar beds, and share the full life cycle with families and classrooms. I also use my gardens to help feed local families and am working toward more community garden spaces in our county.
My promise is simple: native-first, pesticide-free, released only into appropriate habitat—and taught with joy. When you sponsor a butterfly, you help me keep that promise and put real, local care back into the land.
FAQs
How many updates will I get?
Typically 2–3 per month in active months, plus quick release-day notes. During off-season, you’ll still receive garden prep tips and behind-the-scenes posts.
Is this one butterfly or many?
You’re attached to a cohort so you can reliably see all life-cycle stages. When your cohort completes, we’ll roll you into the next—so there’s always something to follow.
Where do you release the butterflies?
On our pesticide-free property and partner gardens within our county, where nectar and host plants are abundant.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. You can cancel from your account dashboard—no hard feelings.
Do I need to live nearby?
Nope! Updates and postcards are mailed/emailed wherever you are (postage limits may apply outside the U.S.—we’ll confirm before shipping).
What species do you raise?
VANESSA CARDUI
Commonly known as painted lady, thistle butterfly, or the cosmopolitan butterfly.
The Butterfly Experience
The Butterfly Experience
Ready to help a butterfly take flight?
Subscribe to follow your own butterfly’s journey from caterpillar to flight. You’ll receive real-time updates, fun facts, and keepsake postcards.
$9/month • Cancel anytime • Real impact you can see