It was in August seven years ago when I was first introduced to the Kindergarten Monarch Butterfly Project. Kate Treat invited my daughter (a true lover of butterflies) and me to join her at Hammonasset to look for monarch eggs. We spent a beautiful afternoon walking through the paths and meadows peering under milkweed leaves in search of a "pearly white" egg. I don't recall that we found any eggs that day, but we did come across a wondrous sight - a spruce tree covered with hundreds of monarchs all glowing in the sunshine. My afternoon with Mrs. Treat was the beginning of my fascination with monarchs and their life cycle.
Each September as Kindergarteners at TCS begin the school year, they too become involved in the monarchs' story. Eggs are gathered and put safely in a tank with milkweed - the monarchs' preferred food. The Kindergarten students quickly develop a sense of stewardship as they care for their monarch charges. They watch and wait. They watch nose pressed up to the glass. They observe the daily changes as the monarch egg soon becomes a tiny caterpillar, and the caterpillar soon becomes a large caterpillar. Each year Lower School hears the exciting news the day that the first caterpillar "forms its J" in preparation for making its chrysalis. The chrysalis hangs until the butterfly emerges. After stretching the wings, drying them out, the monarch is ready to take flight and be set free in the sunshine.
Kindergarteners learn that the cycle has clear rhythms and the journey from egg to butterfly a predictable course. What they experience is the wonder and beauty of this small creature's journey. While predictable, there is indeed a nearly magical quality to the process unfolding before one's eyes. The Kindergarteners quickly appreciate the magic and take time out to just marvel. If you have not seen the green chrysalis of the monarch - lime green with a ring of iridescent gold dots - you have missed a piece of nature's magic
This year, the monarch project ended with a journey of a different kind. As the monarch population has decreased dramatically over the past few years due to severe weather conditions in their wintering home, eggs have become difficult to find. Most of the eggs in the Kindergarten tanks this year arrived via mail from an organization called Monarch Watch. This meant that the process started later in the season, and thus when monarchs were ready to take flight from TCS, the weather here had turned cold and grey.
It was agreed that the weather conditions might not allow the monarchs to safely arrive at their winter destination. Mrs. Treat and Mrs. Phillips knew that an alternate plan was needed. Kate Treat found a butterfly conservatory in Massachusetts ready and eager to welcome TCS's monarchs.
And so, on a Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Treat put all her charges (12 monarchs from the two Kindergarten rooms) in a tank in the back seat of her car and left Madison. She described to the Lower School how the butterflies had been fluttering and flying about in the tank and as she began to drive on the highway they each attached itself to the top, lined up neatly in a row facing forward for the two hour drive north. Once taken into the conservatory, the butterflies were to be released into a huge open space shared by many species from around the world. The top of the tank was lifted off and they flew into their new home. The conservatory naturalist commented that they were extraordinarily healthy and well cared for - something not always true when raised in captivity.
I share this story because for me it reflects what we are all about in Lower School - learning about our world and learning how to be stewards of our world. Our time together is about marveling at the journey, the process of growth in each person who is a member of this community. Our days are filled with moments of wonder when we stop and really look at what surrounds us. Our work is about treating everyone and everything with respect - whether classmate, teacher, or monarch butterfly. We invite you to enjoy this journey with us in Lower School.
Editor's Note:
For further discussion, please contact Mrs. Chappell at 203/421-3113 or email pchappell@thecountryschool.org
