Date: 05/22/1998

Number: 1

A student saw the first monarch butterfly of the season on her way to school today. It was also the day we released our monarch butterfly, Stripes. Stripes had grown from a one-centimeter long larva to 5 centimeters long in two weeks. Students then observed it in the "J" stage, then the chrysalis. After only eight days (of unusually hot weather) the butterfly emerged from its chrysalis on May 21, then we fed it sugar water, and released it into the butterfly garden in our school courtyard on May 22. It first landed on the yellow stripe of a girl's jacket, then sat on another girl's nose for about a minute! (With the help of a grant from First Energy Co. in Ohio, we planted 30 perennials that should attract butterflies to our courtyard.)
(We also saw our first swallowtail butterfly on May 21. Students brought it to our classroom butterfly tent, and we tried to revive it, but to no avail.)

Alliance, OH

Latitude: 40.9 Longitude: -81.1

Observed by: Vickie
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