Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity Sister Caritas Strodthoff shares on how the Franciscan Sisters are saving monarch butterflies.
Recent articles fill newspapers about saving the monarch population. Here at Holy Family Convent a large aquarium comes in handy every year…in our efforts to “Save the Monarchs!!” Milkweed abounds along the lake and in the gardens. Undersurface of leaves are checked for tiny eggs and baby caterpillars once the monarch is seen flitting around the garden.
This year has been a true bumper crop for butterflies. Thus far 39 butterflies have survived the journey from egg to chrysalis to butterfly. The miracles of life are so evident watching the growing caterpillar go thru all the stages of change. Today has been the best day: Five new monarchs have flown off to repopulate the world!!
Names are given to each caterpillar along with dates: birth, chrysalis, butterfly!!
Two of 6 caterpillars can be seen munching away on the milkweed provided daily. You can do this, too. Any jar, vase, cup can hold milkweed leaves for feeding with lid on top for a place to hang when time to become a chrysalis.
It’s amazing to watch this miracle of life take place…and one never tires of watching the caterpillar grow large and larger, munching and munching and, of course, “pooping, too”! Cleanup never ends. But ‘Saving the Monarchs’ is worth every bit of the work put into them. God’s beauty..so evident.
