Rick Mikula, The Butterfly Guy

For over 35 years, Rick Mikula delighted audiences of all ages with his humorous and off-beat way of looking at butterflies. An award-winning author with several books to his credit, he was also a photographer and habitat consultant, and had created butterfly atriums and gardens for Dolly Parton and Hershey Foods, among others.

Unfortunately, in February 2025, Rick passed away, leaving behind so many of us who fondly remember him and the wonderful life he lived and shared with so many others. Within his family and friends, there are memories of his wild and lively childhood, his time in the Navy, his long-time marriage to his wonderful wife Claudia, his daughter now becoming known as "Butterfly Lynn", his brother and niece who loved his presentations and built his website and the Butterfly Website as tributes to his life's work.

He was President of Butterfly Rescue International and served as consultant to both the Association For Butterflies and The International Butterfly Breeders Association. Rick was a co-founder and past president of the IBBA, had served as a vice president of the Canadian Butterfly Breeders and Exhibitors Association, secretary and treasurer for the New Jersey Lepidopterist Society, and on the BOD for The Center for Landscape Design and Stewardship. He was also the pioneer and inventor of the releasing of butterflies at weddings and funerals and helped to make it a global phenomenon.

He will long be remembered by all of us who were fortunate to share so many memories of this wonderful person.