Even though Journey North officially ends tomorrow we'll continue to collect your monarch sightings. It's too exciting to stop! For the record, we'll issue a final monarch migration update when reports stop coming in, probably at the end of June. Until then, send your FIRST monarch sighting to:
If you don't have access to e-mail when school's out, just send us a postcard. The address: Journey North, 125 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401
The following sightings were reported this week:
April 29 Blair, Nebraska May 17 Victor, New York May 18 Monticello, Wisconsin (See note below.) May 21 Beatrice, Nebraska May 21 Cape Elizabeth, Maine (near Portland) May 22 Peterborough, Ontario May 24 Hartford, Connecticut May 24 Belmont, Massachusetts May 25 Victor, New York May 25 North Head, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick May 25 Grand Harbour, Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick May 26 Hoquiam, Washington May 26 Arlington, Vermont May 29 Adams County, Wisconsin May 29 Elma, Washington May 28 Concord, New Hampshire May 28 Horseshoe Lake, near Gig Harbor, Washington May 30 Oakville, Ontario (west of Toronto) May 30 Peacham, Vermont
Students Answer Previous CHALLENGE QUESTIONS: Mr. Zappey's Second Grade Class of Endicott, New York and the Monarch Team at Minnesota's Jackson School answered these questions according to the chart below:
Q. What's the shortest amount of time required for a monarch to go from an egg to an adult? A. 21 days Q. How long can it take? A. 41 days Q. On average, how long does it take to go through all three stages of the life cycle? A. 28 days Q. If your weight were to increase 2,700 times as a monarch caterpillar's does, how much would you weigh? A. Jesse in New York weighs 52 pounds so he would weigh 140,400 lbs! Andrea in Minnesota weighs 53 pounds so she would weigh 143,100 lbs!
Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle: Rate of Development
Stage #Days Average (range) Eggs 3- 5 4 Larvae 9-18 12 Pupae 9-18 12
P.S. Jesse has a question if an expert is still available: Why don't the monarchs just stay in Mexico where it is always warm? Thank you! Second Graders at Charles F. Johnson Elementary School, Endicott, NY cfjlib@transit.nyser.net
WHY MIGRATE?
Dear Jesse, I'll stand in for the monarch expert because I think I have the answer!
Monarch butterflies--and HUNDREDS of other animals--migrate north because there's so much to eat in the summer in North America! Sure, it stays warm in Mexico, but it's also warm in the north and there's lots of food.
Let's use the monarchs as an example. Imagine how many flowers it would take to feed 60 million butterflies all summer long! Imagine how much milkweed their billions of caterpillars would need to find in Mexico!!! Instead, the monarchs spread out across North America and eat the milkweed and nectar in Texas, Louisiana, Ontario, in my garden in Minnesota and yours in New York....Get it? It's worth the trip even though migration is hard work and risky.
Try this: Take out your atlas and notice how much land there is in the U.S. and Canada. Now look at how little land there is in Central America and Mexico! In fact, there's about fifty times more land in North America! Many migratory animals pack together in the south during the winter. Then, in the spring, they head north where there's plenty of food--for themselves AND for their young. Now, here's a CHALLENGE QUESTION for you to think about this summer:
Q. Why is it true that very few animals migrate FROM South America TO Central America when it's winter in the southern hemisphere? (Clue: Look at a globe and follow the reasoning above.)
Have a nice summer! Elizabeth Donnelly
Comments From Observers:
April 29 I saw my first monarch on April 29th. I have seen many more. We have seen 9 monarchs in about 1 month. We go to West School and we live in Blair, Nebraska. Meggie Megan MeggiePoo@aol.com
May 17 Children in Mrs. Donalies' third grade class at Victor Central School in Victor, NY (east of Rochester) report sightings of Monarch Butterflies in the woods, golf course, backyards and meadows at their homes. The sightings were on Wednesday, May 17, 1995. Megan in second grade sighted a Monarch on a flower in her yard in Victor, NY on May 25, 1995. The butterflies must be here. We enjoyed following the migrations on Journey North through Prodigy. LCRN08A@prodigy.com
(Before May 18) One day I was walking through the yard and suddenly I saw some very familar looking butterflies . They were monarchs! I was so exctied I was the first one in my class that saw a monarch. The 2 reasons I knew they were monarchs is because they were black and orange and just the right size. Other students have also observed monarchs this week (May 18) with parents. Sorry, no one was able to get a close look. Ashley Appel, Grade 4 Monticello, Wisconsin monticjc@llwisc.ll.pbs.org (Students: We've written to Ashley and asked for the exact DATE of her sighting. You could use the May 18th date for your map, since monarchs were seen by that date.)
May 21 I saw one! As I was mowing my yard I saw a real beauty. I live in Beatrice Ne. It is a city south of Lincoln, Nebraska. Temps were in the upper sixties. Winds were steady out of the south-southeast. Steven Hobus shobus@esu6.esu6.k12.ne.us
May 21 Alissa G. saw a monarch on 5/21 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine (near Portland) Kathy Lind, 3rd grade, Burbank School, Belmont, Mass. walind@lynx.dac.neu.edu
May 22 Stephanie Rider, Downey Public School, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada Sighted her first monarch on Monday May 22, 1995. downeya@web.apc.org
May 24 We are a third grade class in Belmont, Mass. (near Boston) and we have been searching with no luck...finally this week many of my students found monarchs in their yards - Meg W. saw one on May 24th on her "butterfly bush" - Noah K. found one in his yard. Alissa G. saw one up in Maine, and Mikey M. saw one in the yard. We have had a lot of cold weather and we think that kept them from coming here. Now the temp is in the 60's & 70's. Finally! I hope this reaches you in time! Thank You - Kathy Lind, Teacher, Burbank School Third grade, Belmont, MA walind@lynx.dac.neu.edu
May 24 First monarch sighted by Carol Millard of Connecticut Audubon Center at Glastonbury on May 24th in Hartford, Connecticut. CAMILLARD@aol.com
May 25 We just returned from a few days on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. On May 25, we saw the first two Monarchs of the summer, one at North Head and one at Grand Harbour. The poplars and birches were leafing out while we were there May 22-26. Mary Majka, Albert, New Brunswick. maryspt@nbnet.nb.ca
May 26 My dad saw our first monarch in Hoquiam, WA on May 26.. He watched it rest for 15 minutes close to the waters edge of Grays Harbor. The wings were in good shape. We saw another monarch the same day while driving through Elma, WA. On May 28 we saw a monarch at Horseshoe Lake near Gig Harbor, WA. We have not seen any monarchs yet at our home on the ocean north of Moclips, Wa. Byron David Woolsey, Santiago Homeschoolers. LillianAW@aol.com
May 26 Greetings. I have a Veterinarian friend in Arlington, Vermont that e-mailed me to tell me that he spotted a beautiful monarch just bopping about casually among his lilac bushes. The Monarch's wings were in good condition and the temperature was approximately 72 degrees. Fran Cardella, 3rd Grade Teacher, William C. Munn School Spencerport, NY (Rochester area) Saffron 70@aol.com
May 28 Boris M. saw a monarch this weekend - May 28, in southern New Hampshire - near Concord. He said it looked smaller than he thought and the wings were in good shape. Hope this helps complete parts of your map! Kathy Lind, 3rd grade, Burbank School, Belmont walind@lynx.dac.neu.edu
May 29 Hello, I am happy to report a sighting of two monarchs today, May 29, 1995, in central Adams County, Wisconsin, at about 3 P.M. Will continue to watch for monarchs. JeanS21903@aol.com
May 30,1995 Today I saw my first Monarch Butterfly in my school yard. about three o clock in the afternoon . I`m in grade two I`m doing a project on the monarch. I live in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. That's just 20 miles West of Toronto. Jack dfoxcox@wchat.on.ca
May 30 Dear Journey North, Yesterday , May 30, 1995, our whole class saw a monarch butterfly. We were outside looking for milkweed to transplant into our butterfly garden. It is a garden in the shape of two butterflies with plants just for butterflies and caterpillars. We are very concerned that we only found one small milkweed plant. We are at longitude 72- 10-15 and latitude 44-19-30 in Peacham, Vermont. We have enjoyed tracking the monarchs from Mexico very much! Vtpeacham@aol.com
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