A Backyard Gift

Meet my newly hatched monarch friend!  Last Saturday, I stopped by the classroom to feed our frogs and toads (all gifts from our backyard).  We also had three monarch chrysalises (given to us by a friend of the class).  They had all turned dark and translucent and I knew they would be out soon.  I stopped back on Sunday and found three amazing butterflies.  We missed the coming out, but it was great to see them all healthy and flying.  We brought in all sorts of flowering plants from our backyard and made large bouquets, hoping that they would find nourishment.  (I also set out sponges with hummingbird nectar although I never saw them feed on them.)  We let them fly about our room for three days before freeing them.  We have so many questions . . . Where are they going?  What do they eat? (They did seem to like our ragweed bouquet, although I wasn't nearly as fond of it.)  Do they sleep?   How long does it take to go from a caterpillar to a butterfly?  We hope to find out more about these insects in the days ahead.  But one thing we all learned is that monarchs are amazing.  And since their release, students have kept a keen eye out for monarchs in the wild and on the soccer fields.  I do believe that, after watching them flutter through our room this week, we all hold a special place in our hearts for thess creatures of beauty and grace.