Today marks a personal magical milestone: the release of monarch butterfly #1200. It took eight years and countless hours of dedication to reach this number, and I am grateful that I’ve maintained the passion and discipline to continue what I consider a spiritual practice: rearing Monarchs from eggs that I find on milkweed plants in my yard. Each butterfly that I release into its wild, uncertain destiny is a winged ambassador of hope for the future of all life on this indescribably beautiful planet. I look forward to hosting their grandchildren when they return to grace my gardens next year.