We are tagging the monarch through a program call Monarch Watch which is a nonprofit education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration.
This year our school has raised over 120 Monarch larvae. To date we have tagged and released 92 Monarch butterflies. Many students are intrigued by the program and have been contributing with larva found at home, providing milkweed to feed the larva and providing oranges and flowers for the Monarchs when they emerge from their chrysalis until there are released.
This endeavour has provided many educational pluses as students are very interested in the life cycle of not only the Monarch butterflies but also the many other “critters” they are finding and researching throughout our school yard. It has also been the starting point for many related classroom inquiries and writing activities as well.
Thanks so much for sharing Kent
Kent Cheesman is the Principal of Cookstown Central Public School.