Monarch Butterflies—A Spectacular Transformation

Thad Donovan recently became captivated by the quiet magic happening on the bright orange milkweed at Coffee Creek Watershed. Dozens of tiny monarch caterpillars were fighting for their chance at life, and he felt compelled to protect and document them. He built small handmade enclosures, spent hours checking on them, and filmed their relentless hunger and fragile beauty. Over the following weeks, his camera captured moments too delicate for the naked eye—the trembling chrysalis, the slow unfurling of new wings, and the breathtaking emergence of each monarch. The result is a video that feels less like a nature study and more like witnessing a small miracle.