A hair salon might not seem like the most likely place to witness the metamorphosis of a Monarch butterfly, but it’s the best spot Rose Cochran has found for her brood so far! Known to many as the “Monarch Butterfly Lady,” this woman from Ithaca, New York is passionate about saving the winged creatures from extinction. That’s why she’s been personally overseeing the growth of Monarch caterpillars at her salon. Over 300 butterflies have been raised in her terrariums!
“I got involved with Monarch Watch, which is at the University of Kansas,” she told USA Today. “They said they’re becoming endangered, and I thought, well, what can I do to help? How can I possibly do something to make a difference? So I started trying to find caterpillars.”
How does Rose create the perfect environment for her flying friends? She says there’s one simple ingredient that these butterflies can’t live without: milkweed. Apparently, it’s becoming a scarce resource!
“I started realizing that there was a problem with the butterflies. So I started slowly bringing chrysalis into the salon, and I realized there was interest,” Rose explained. “Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed. There’s not enough milkweed, that’s the issue. So I’m trying to find organic milkweed.”
Rose has more than one reason for wanting to keep the endangered species from dying out. Besides her love for the beautiful insects, she’s also driven by the memory of her late cousin, Teresa Sharp. One of the first to see the magic happening inside Rose’s terrariums, Teresa passed on in 2015 due to breast cancer.
“Every time I see a butterfly, I think of her. Teresa is a huge part of this,” Rose said. “It’s the memories and watching miracles. I think sometimes all of us, we just need a miracle.”Â
Recently, the “Butterfly Lady” was able to make one of her biggest dreams a reality. She visited a sanctuary in Michoacán, Mexico, where she was surrounded by swarms of Monarchs.
“When I saw them, it was a life-changing experience for me,” she recalled.
See Rose enjoy the magical flight of these creatures in the video below!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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