People We Meet: Liam O'Brien is here to crush butterfly misogyny
Briefly

Liam O'Brien, after being diagnosed with HIV in 2000, shifted his focus to butterflies and began a hobby that turned into a significant life project. His upcoming book, "Butterflies of the Bay Area and (Slightly) Beyond," represents four years of work, where he hand-painted over 700 butterfly portraits and documented their characteristics. O'Brien noted that butterfly populations in San Francisco had become isolated, causing issues like inbreeding. He partnered with conservation organizations to enhance habitats and raise public awareness about these critical ecological concerns.
O'Brien emphasized that the situation for local butterfly populations is critical due to isolation and inbreeding, which severely limits their genetic diversity and overall health.
He highlighted the importance of awareness and collaboration with organizations to restore habitats, saying that continuous butterfly habitats can combat the isolation effect.
Read at Mission Local
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