SEATTLE -- In 1994, Lt. Sheri Moreau took early retirement from the navy and put to the test her belief that "your goal in life should be to figure out what you most love to do, then figure out a way to make a living doing it." With a goal of connecting with nature and wildlife, she began her second career as a butterfly farmer.
"When I was 9, Mom gave me permission to create a weed garden in a corner of our backyard. Pretty unsightly compared to the rest of the yard -- but always full of fascinating minibeasts. I loved it! I spent an idyllic childhood running barefoot through the woods, net and collecting jar in hand, a powerful microscope back home."
As one of about 60 people in the U.S. who call themselves butterfly farmers, she raises butterflies for release at weddings, anniversaries, funerals, grand openings, even prison releases. She ships live butterflies overnight in individual packets and boxes, and larger amounts in display cages containing sometimes more than 100.
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