Alan Jirik doesn’t view his time spent raising butterflies as work. “It’s too much fun to be work!” he chuckles.
Alan has been raising butterflies for over fifty years! As a young child back in the 1960’s, he and his friends enjoyed catching and collecting butterflies. A parent of one of his friends took time to show the boys how to raise and release butterflies instead of catching them for their collections. He credits that interaction to a lifetime interest in raising and releasing butterflies including over a thousand monarchs - and loving every moment of it.
Alan’s hobby has turned him into a great source of information, and he has spoken about his work with butterflies at schools, garden clubs and other groups. Raising butterflies also ties nicely into his love of gardening not only for butterflies, but hummingbirds as well. He is actively working at his church to start a garden with the intention of providing produce for food pantries as well as adding some milkweed plants for the butterflies to enjoy.
In answer to the question, “What is your favorite thing about butterflies?” Alan remarks, “The stunning colors. Each butterfly has unique and often dramatic coloration that is awe-inspiring. Each one is more beautiful than the next”. What a wonderful passion to nurture: butterflies that give us joy with their beauty, and benefit us by pollinating fruits and vegetables we like to eat!
Corsalus Financial is grateful to Alan for taking time to share his passion and work with us.
