During one of the first days of school, as students were getting to know each other, a question that was posed to students was:
What was your favorite grade in school and why?
A student answered that second grade was his favorite because they grew butterflies. I remember the joy of watching the life cycle of a butterfly when I taught Kindergarten and knew that in the time we are in, our class could use something to bring joy. We have learned so much while feeling such care and concern for our little caterpillars!
The first big discovery for me: there are lots of different kinds of milkweed native to Missouri. Well of course! As an avid gardener, why does this surprise me? But my experience with milkweed was limited and knew that before I could commit to the caterpillars that I had to secure the food source. A walk around my subdivision proved fruitful however learning that there were a few milkweed plants on our school grounds provided an even more accessible resource of food. Our school has a swamp milkweed plant that I ended up using for the caterpillars.
Swamp Milkweed
Second discovery: The "J" formation
This means that the caterpillar is about ready to hit the chrysalis stage and it should happen within 18-24 hours. I tried so hard to watch this actually happen in real time. I did catch a glimpse of a caterpillar between the two phases but I can't describe it. Sort of looked like the chrysalis was wet as it was forming outside the body.
Chrysalis in the forefront and a caterpillar behind the chrysalis.
This is where we currently are. All six caterpillars are in the chrysalis phase and we are patiently waiting for them to emerge. We will be tagging the wings of the monarchs and hope to follow their journey! To be continued!
