After spending the morning in the larger screened terrarium hanging from the ceiling, the butterflies were transferred back to the feeding trays where they drank heartily, dipping their proboscis deep into the pompoms.
Friday, December 18, 2009
December 17, 2009 Day 32 Butterflies flock to the feeding trays...
After spending the morning in the larger screened terrarium hanging from the ceiling, the butterflies were transferred back to the feeding trays where they drank heartily, dipping their proboscis deep into the pompoms.
December 16, 2009 Day 31 Butterflies move to a sunny spot!
After feeding the butterflies in the smaller terrarium, kindergartners transferred the butterflies to a larger screened terrarium today for their morning exercise. The butterflies flew to the side of the larger terrarium and rested in the sunlight, fanning their wings. It was exciting to watch them fly across the terrarium.
Several kindergartners said that the green screened terrarium reminds them of a really large chrysalis. All that hard work becoming butterflies, only to find themselves back inside another chrysalis! It's better this way, the kindergartners reasoned; they can be inside with their butterfly friends rather than all alone.
One kindergartner commented on how beautiful the butterflies are with the sun shining through their opened wings; "It makes their colors so bright and beautiful," she said.
While waiting turns to help transfer the butterflies between terrariums, kindergartners kept busy with the "bug eye" scopes, taking a "look" at the world the way a butterfly views it.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15, 2009 Day 30 Part 2: Exercise
One butterfly surprised us by coming out of the terrarium while we were feeding the butterflies the Gatorade flowers. This gave us an opportunity to learn how to hold a butterfly.
We learned how to offer a "perch" with two fingers and give it space to walk, reaching hand over hand. We noticed the tickle of butterfly feet and were surprised, as we all took turns holding the butterflies, how beautiful and delicate they truly are in our hands. The calm and gentle manner with which the kindergartners handled the butterflies was astounding. It was as though the world stood still for each of them when gifted with wings in their hands.
December 15, 2009 Day 30 Part 1: Gatorade for breakfast...9:00 am
Our butterflies were hungry this morning! The pompoms and lids were rinsed clean and set up for use. Two kindergartners refilled the feeding stations for the butterflies, saturating the colorful pompoms with Gatorade using eye-droppers. All twelve butterflies were gently placed on the pompoms and all but one begin drinking. The one who didn't want to drink, fluttered to the top of the terrarium. We think the butterflies would like some exercise after breakfast.
Monday, December 14, 2009
December 14, 2009 Day 29 Twelve Monarchs!
Kindergartners discovered this morning that more butterflies emerged over the weekend. We found them exercising their wings in the rearing boxes. Peering through the plastic windows, several kindergartners counted the empty chrysalides and determined that we have 11 monarchs. Our last, the 12th, emerged successfully this morning and we discovered it drying its wings, hanging on the empty chrysalis.
Only one butterfly was observed sitting on the rotten banana we fed the butterflies on Friday in the screened terrarium. The banana looked dry. The other butterflies were resting at the top of the terrarium.
Since there are no flowers in our gardens anymore we know we can't release the butterflies to find their own food. We also think it is too cold at night for the butterflies and some days, too cold during the days. If we let them free outdoors, we don't think they could make it to Mexico. We agreed that the rotten banana was a good idea but we thought we could start feeding the butterflies red Gatorade just like the butterflies on the ISS are drinking.
All children agreed that the butterflies "need more space" so they can move their wings and fly. We agreed that we would move all the butterflies to the screened terrarium and feed them there.
In two trays, we put empty water bottle lids, each with a Gatorade-saturated pompom. It is quite colorful and may remind the butterflies of the colors of real flowers. I gently put each monarch on the pompoms and the kindergartners watched to see what happened next.
They loved it! The butterflies used their straw-like tongues (proboscis) to feed, sticking their tongues deep into the pompoms. They stayed there a long time before leaving the feeding trays. They were very hungry!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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