Survivor!

For the last two years, we have raised butterflies in our class. It is a first-hand look at the life cycles of these amazing creatures. Unfortunately, this year the Monarch population has taken a huge hit due to deforestation in Mexico and a lack of milkweed. Read more at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/08/22/monarch-butterfly-population/2687621/

For this reason, we weren't able to buy caterpillars to raise this year. However, on Friday afternoon,  a group of our first graders found a Monarch caterpillar outside-pretty remarkable considering the circumstances! They came running over holding this little guy and fistfuls of milkweed for him to eat. They were so excited and quickly named him "survivor" because he "might be the last one on Earth!" (Don't worry, he's not, but it sure makes it sound exciting!)

I was out of town overnight Saturday and left Mr. Shubert and my daughter, Avery, to caterpillar-sit. By a stroke of luck, they went to check on Survivor just as he was making his chrysalis! Here is a picture of him, patiently waiting to become a butterfly: