First Grade Continues their Study of Monarchs and the Dangers They Face

First graders have been learning all about Monarchs, their life cycle, their amazing journey of migration to Mexico and the dangers they face on the way.

After reading The Travels of Monarch X, first graders began learning about the many perils these delicate and beautiful creatures face in their journey throughout North America. Besides dangers in nature like storms and predators, these threatened butterflies are up against many obstacles, some of which we can do something about.

Ask your first graders what dangers the monarchs face in the Okefenoke Swamp!

As we learned in our research on-line and through many books, one of the greatest threats is habitat destruction. Monarchs are completely dependent on milkweed and this plant is being erased from our farmlands, roadsides, parks and yards because of herbicides used to kill weeds and promote growth in crops. 

Look up Monarch Butterflies Migration Google Earth Tour to watch an amazing video we watched in class.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqDwvuleRYc

Over the last 2 years first graders have begun planting our own milkweed. As Kathy mentioned in an earlier blog, this year our students searched our AFS campus and mapped out the location of milkweed. We didn’t find much but were excited to find not only milkweed in three different locations but, also a monarch caterpillar! Later, they found evidence of that caterpillar having hatched into a butterfly. They found the empty chrysalis! This is so inspiring and has really motivated our first graders to believe that they really can make a difference.

In science class the students continue to nurture their baby milkweed plants. They also are engaged in scientific research studying the effects of herbicides on plants. We are very hopeful and excited to make our campus a Monarch weigh station by providing the plant they depend on for survival.

Last week we released our Monarch butterflies and sent them off with wishes and prayers for a safe journey. As we speak, people in Texas and soon in Mexico will look up and see a river of orange sunshine flying through the sky, heading to the forests of central Mexico where they will spend the winter, rest up, and begin again, in their journey north.

Another incredible link below is Journey North. This highlights the epic convergence of monarchs currently entering Texas and a first grade class observing their arrival.

https://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/fall2016/09/monarch-butterfly-migration101316.html

Good luck, Monarch butterfly!