Michael E. Soukup Michael Soukup began his lifelong love of Lepidoptera while in the fourth grade at Perry Hall Elementary School when his older brother, Tom, forced him to collect butterflies for Tom?s sixth grade science project. During that time, Mike fell in love with butterflies and moths and he has never stopped collecting and studying them. Mike attended the University of Pennsylvania as a Biology major ? hoping to make entomology his career. However, after two years he left school to pursue his other dream ? a career playing music. While playing the guitar in local bands at night, he took various classes at Towson State University in Maryland until he won a scholarship to Villa Julie College to study computer science in 1983. Mike attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems and graduated with honors in 1987. Even before graduating, he had already began his career at St. Paul Computer Center. After buying a house, Mike began to collect extensively and began rearing moths ? most within the family Saturniidae. His collection and knowledge of the giant silk moths grew exponentially and he was soon known internationally as a leading breeder of North American moths. In 1998 his wife of two years, Rachel, was diagnosed with Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). She dealt with her illness with great strength and amazing courage until she passed away in October of 1999. With the death of his wife, Mike re-examined his priorities and, in February of 2000 ? twelve years to the day that he began working at St. Paul Computer, he decided to quit his computer job and pursue his dreams. Mike began traveling extensively around the world ? collecting butterflies and moths and meeting with other breeders and collectors. He was determined to parlay his passion for insects into a self-sustaining career. After trying various large-scale moth rearing endeavors, Mike began to work on other ideas ? different ways that butterflies and moths could be used to beautify people?s lives. His first product ? called ?Floraflies? involved mounting butterflies in life-like flying positions ? which could be used on floral arrangements and in other decorative areas around the home. During this time, he searched for ? and found ? various plastics and epoxies that could be used to enhance the structural integrity of the normally extremely delicate butterfly wings?without destroying their natural beauty. At the urging of his friend and business partner, Cindy Tinder, he expanded the scope of his wing lamination process. After months of experimentation, research, testing and frustration, he developed ?Earwings? ? durable earrings made from real butterfly wings. In 2002, along with Cindy, he started the business ?Nature Depot, Inc.? ? selling ?Floraflies?, ?Earwings?, Fossils, and Hostas (he is also an expert gardener and Hostaphile with over 1,000 hostas). Today, Cindy keeps him locked in the workshop twelve hours a day creating ?Earwings?, ?Floraflies?, and ?playing with his bugs?. His life-long dream has finally come true!