Careers with Butterfly Watching

How many times have you seen a butterfly pass by only to forget you even saw it a few minutes later? We often take the simple things in life for granted. Butterfly watching is one of those things. People overlook butterflies every day. They're quiet members of our community that really don't seem to benefit our world much except for their beauty and their place in the food chain.

You may not ever entertain the thought of something as seemingly insignificant as butterfly watching turning into a successful career. Yet there are people who earn substantial incomes from doing just that. There are many careers that incorporate butterfly watching into their important job necessities without making it a main part of the job.

Photographers gain a lot of money from pictures of butterflies. Yet they don't often take pictures only of butterflies. A good photographer usually takes pictures of other things as well. An entomologist will participate in butterfly watching, yet they also study many other insects as well. Teachers teach about butterflies, but they only make that a small part of their curriculum. In some ways, butterflies play only a small part in a career.

So, would the world survive without butterflies? Sure it would. If you take away a small part of a large structure, it can continue to stand. But it will still have a weak spot. Butterflies provide other insects and mammals with food. They participate in plant management. They provide people with jobs and pleasure. They give us beauty in nature and provide a source of learning.

Another career that benefits from butterfly watching is that of an author. Books, articles, and educational material about butterflies and butterfly watching are on bookshelves all over the world. Again, photographers contribute by submitting their photos of butterflies.

Gardeners benefit from butterflies by their participation in pollination. It's one of the natural ways our earth has gained so much plant life, so the eco-system has benefited as well. There are gardens created just for the exquisite butterfly population. They're one of the few insects our children can enjoy without fear of getting bitten or stung.

Biologists benefit from butterfly watching, from the beginning of their lives to the end. Butterflies are studied extensively by several scientific careers.

Artists benefit greatly by butterfly watching. Knowing the types of plants to paint with the beautifully graceful butterflies is a huge plus to artists. These little creatures are well-known in the art world by people who create sculptures, draw, paint, mold, and so on. There are plenty of pictures that don't center around the butterfly yet one or more is seen in the backgrounds.

Other careers where butterfly watching is a positive addition are: naturalists, zoo jobs, museum personnel, library personnel, state park personnel. There are clubs about them, books about them, educational movies about them, and too many decorative items to list. Collectors also make plenty of money of items related to or including butterflies. Their quiet, graceful, non-threatening manner can soften even the hardest of hearts. So, how could one not enjoy a career that includes them?