Monarchs and Milkweed

Hawk and Bald Eagle climbing a tree to see what they can see!

It was amazing to see monarchs fluttering around sunny Harrington this week and what a wonderful coincidence!  We experienced them in one way or another throughout our day!

Storytime with Cardinal!

Our story Monarchs and Milkweed certainly helped us clear up some things about monarchs. Interestingly they don’t just like drinking nectar from milkweed. What are some of the other plants and flowers these creatures love to sample while on their journeys?  Did you attract any butterflies with your flower wands, Pin Cherry, Deer and Bobcat?  You certainly were in the perfect spots to attract them!

The Herons also provided us with a perfect spot to explore…a pathway to help us climb a tree in Mystery Forest!  Could you see any butterflies from way up there? 

Grey Squirrel helped us understand how important trees are for all creatures as they provide homes for many of them.  Do you remember the animals that called the tree in the story Just One Oak their home? We used natural plant materials to make some beautiful artwork. A magical memory that we got to take home.

Well wait no longer!  Butterfly Barb, our visitor who arrived in the afternoon, kindly shared all her expertise about life cycles, eggs and the journeys butterflies take to survive and thrive.  Who knew butterfly eggs could be so small!  What was something new you learned about butterflies? Do you remember where they fly to for the winter?  Thank you for sharing your passion and leaving us three pots of milkweed plants!

Do you remember acting out the stages of the life cycle of a Monarch?

Time for a wander!  The search for flowers was on.  Not sure if butterflies love buttercups but we sure did.  What happened when you performed the buttercup test under your chin?  Do you love butter?  Even if it is just an imaginary story, it was fun to test the theory out on our friends.  The experiments continued as we gathered at the pond to float our boats, and search for crayfish and a lost shoe!

Dragonfly and Cardinal were excited to see The Nature Spa opened this week! We really enjoyed our hand and arm mud treatments.  Thanks Pin Cherry and Bobcat!  Our skin has never felt better!

So many questions were answered.  What are some questions and activities you have in your mind that you are eager to solve and explore with your friends and family?