Dear Barrows Shining Star Scientists – its that time again!
We need you!
I need your help because I have eggs that need a “butterfly-sitter” to watch over and take care of until they hatch into caterpillars, turn into a chrysalis, and finally transform into a butterfly. This is a really cool way to see this life cycle up-close and personal! Are you interested? Here is what you would need:
A small container with a top that you can poke a hole into:
A “pet pen” that can close – either a plastic style or mesh style will work!
A grown-up that is willing to help you find *Milkweed and *nectar flowers to cut as food sources as your butterfly grows!
That’s it! If you’re able and interested, come by Barrows Thursday 8/10 or Friday morning 8/11 (or send me an email: Heather.leonard@reading.k12.ma.us and I will set up a time for pick up at Barrows.)
One of our Barrows Families (The Granara family) volunteered to butterfly-sit last summer, and caught both of these AMAZING videos - the butterfly turning into a chrysalis and then emerging... both events that happen pretty quickly and are hard to capture on video - thank you for sharing!
As many of our students know from their experiences over the last 2 years, my family and I have become very invested in saving and supporting the Monarch Butterfly population. It is an awesome process to watch, but also contributes to a population in need.
Did you know that only 2-10% of eggs laid in the wild survive? Some scientists have filed a petition for endangered species act protection for the Monarch and its habitat in 2014. Monarchs are important pollinators for our gardens. My family has found many monarch butterfly eggs/caterpillars to protect and keep safe until they become butterflies – then we release them into the wild! This is why I need the help of our Shining Star Scientists!
Can you believe that they go from this:
(egg)
To this (caterpillar)
To this (Monarch butterfly)!
Just amazing!
