By Wendy
August 5, 1997
Well we have had a busy month! We have learned so much and seen so many caterpillars change into butterflies; it's been wonderful! This morning we are wrapping up some of our lessons with review. This afternoon we will be making all kinds of enteries in our journal here. We have kept notes on all we have learned, and what we have seen, and we want to be sure to share all of it with you:) As a short review we recieved all of our Painted Lady larva from the Carolina Biological Supply Company. We found our Monarch caterpillars in the woods around my house; we have lots of milkweed, and that's what the Monarchs like. Although we planted a butterfly garden, we haven't seem a lot of the flowers bloom, nor have we seen a lot of butterfly activity around it. This was our first attempt at the garden, and I think maybe not enough of the flowers have bloomed yet to attract the butterflies. We do see a lot of different kinds of butterflies flying through the backyard, in the same spots, during a certain time of the day. It is usually late afternoon, around 3-5 pm. It seems like that's when it's the warmest around here. Some of the butterflies that pass through are so bright that they can be seen from a distance away. The children have learned that it is not easy to catch a butterfly! They have caught many different kinds of bugs, but never any butterflies. The butterflies are just too fast for them. I think it's wonderful practice of eye/hand coordination, and it is funny to watch at times. I've even had to run through the yard after a few myself, and I don't always get lucky either. We have had a total of 15 different Monarchs and Painted Lady butterflies thius summer. I think we have been very fortunate to see all of this up close. Some of the children even took some caterpillars home and got to watch and share the metamorphosis with their families. It has been a wonderful unit for all fo us. We will be back this afternoon to document all that happened over the past month. So please be sure to stop back in later tonight or tomorrow to read up on things! If you have any questions or comments please sign the guestbook, write us at wdknoll@wctc.net, or visit my home page and contact us through there. That is Molly's Room (Wendys) and it is dedicated to our snakes. That will be our next unit! See you soon:) Molly's Room a new herp (snake) site! http://www.geocities.com/SouthBeach/Boardwalk/3884