With tracking tags purchased from Monarch Watch, a program developed by the University of Kansas, the kindergartners tagged their butterflies before releasing them outdoors. Together we learned how to adhere the tags (tiny, numbered stickers) to the hindwings of the butterflies and recorded information about each butterfly (sex, origin, location) on our data sheet.With reports from individuals who find the tagged butterflies along the migration route researchers gain insight about the southward migration of Monarchs through the mid-west, along the Eastern coast of United States, across the Gulf states, and over the border on their journey to the oyamel forests in the mountainous region of Central Mexico.
On our campus we have a special wildlife habitat garden that has been certified as a Monarch Waystation with Monarch Watch. Affectionately it is known on campus as The Puddle as not only does this wild space provide nectar and host plants for Monarch butterflies, it features a small pond with solar-powered fountain and serves as a rain garden during times of heavy rain and snowfall. We release our monarchs in this beautiful area every fall.
