Date: 04/09/2006

Number: 1

This afternoon one of my student’s parents told me that they saw 2 Monarchs in their yard yesterday, Sun., April 9. While this is a second-hand report, I trust this Dad to recognize the Monarch. This is the second child of theirs who has been in my class and the family regularly hunts caterpillars for me in the fall. We’ve raised many of “their caterpillars” and tagged them for the southward journey. So, they are here! Their home is located toward Franklin, TN…just south of Nashville.

Mr. Sullivan was amazed that the butterflies could have survived softball-sized hail (he has it in his freezer) that we had over the weekend. We also had devastating (F3 in Gallatin, where my brother lives and raises Monarchs) tornadoes through the area---many homes and businesses totally destroyed and at least 11 fatalities in the mid-state. I don’t know how they survived the wind!

Still no milkweed yet. I checked this morning, but I think I’ll put out my pots of tropical so these 2 can have a place to lay their eggs!

I’m keeping my eyes to the sky. Here’s hoping for LOTS more Monarchs and NO more tornadoes!

Franklin, TN

Latitude: 35.9 Longitude: -86.9

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