With the help of your school's art teacher, explore how your butterfly will be designed and decorated. Using only paper, how can you convey the fragile nature of a butterfly? At the same time, how can make sure your monarch survives its journey south, the winter months in Mexico, and its journey north next spring? Your butterfly symbolizes a real monarch butterfly. It is a visitor to Mexico who returns year after year and depends on the Mexican people for survival. How can your butterfly serve as an ambassador of goodwill? How can it represent you and express your appreciation?

Design your own monarch, or follow a design created by:

• Students who sent butterflies last year.
• Karen Wilkensen, The Science Museum of Minnesota (Simpler)
• Mary Jo Blanchard, Minnetonka, Minnesota (More elaborate)

For Successful Migration, Every Butterfly Must:

• Be made entirely from paper. (Please try to use recycled paper!)
• Be flat. (No 3 dimensional butterflies this year.)
• Carry your name and full address. Typed, not handwritten. (Mailing labels or address stamps work well.)
• Include a message of conservation and friendship for a Mexican student.
• Leave space for a return message from a Mexican student.

Important: This year, all writing must be typed, not handwritten. Here's why: Last year, the writing on many butterflies was impossible to read. The students who received them could not tell where the butterflies came from or who sent them. They were not able to write back to the sender either. Remember, this is especially important because your writing must be read by a student who speaks Spanish. Don't forget: Each individual butterfly needs a name and address. Last year, some people didn't realize that these butterflies travel with thousands and thousands of other butterflies, and do not remain with others from the same classroom.

Warning to All Migrating Butterflies
If you do not meet these design requirements, you will not be sent to Mexico! Please help us to make this project manageable so it can continue in the future!

Try This!
You may want to include these things with your butterfly:

• The distance your butterfly will travel to Mexico City (in km and miles).
• Your e-mail address.
• Your latitude and longitude.
• Write your message in Spanish
• For extra writing space, make a tiny envelope and glue it under the butterfly's wing. Insert a letter inside.
• "Tag" your butterfly the way a real monarch is tagged. (A self-adhesive label measuring 1 1/2" x 3" would work well.).

• How to Make a Monarch
• How to Send Your Monarch to Mexico
• Preparing for the Journey South
• Conserving Monarch Habitat in Mexico

Copyright 1998 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.