Soon after I arrived at Park Tudor, I vividly remember former Headmaster Bruce Galbraith asking me what my favorite moment of wonder was in biology. Without much hesitation I told him I thought everyone became filled with the curiosity of a biologist when they watched a Monarch butterfly emerge from its pupal case, and that experience was one of the great moments we needed to share with young people as parents and teachers.  

Monarch butterflies were once abundant during the summers here in the midwest. But from personal experience and from following the annual reports from the scientists who study the Monarchs, it has been clear for some time now that what was once common in the midwest is becoming rare. The Monarch's decline from their former abundance has been caused by a substantial reduction in the numbers of milkweed plants. Female Monarch butterflies will only lay eggs on milkweed. To increase the butterfly population, more milkweed plants need to be planted. 

Monarch biologists recently reported that the population decline in the eastern U.S. Monarch population has become so severe that we could lose the great migration of butterflies into and out of Indiana each summer. When I heard this, I remembered that conversation with former Headmaster Galbraith. I knew I had to do something. To plant the milkweed the scientists were calling for I would need the help of our students. How would they respond? 

When the students heard of the national effort to increase Monarch numbers by planting milkweed, the Upper School students worked after school during the winter months and raised 1500 milkweed plants from seeds. In the spring, Lower, Middle and Upper School students and their teachers prepared garden areas on campus and planted our small milkweed plants in time for the returning Monarchs to lay eggs. By the fourth of July, all of the milkweed that we had started growing indoors in January had been  planted on school grounds and in the yards of Park Tudor families, faculty, staff and alumni. 

In August and September, we gathered 100 Monarch eggs and raised these through the caterpillar and pupal stages to become disease-free winged adults. With the help of classes from all three divisions, we released 70 butterflies with tags safely attached to their wings so we could contribute to an ongoing international study of the fall Monarch migration to Mexico. The rest of the Monarchs we raised were distributed to teachers in area schools in the pupal stage so their students could watch the adults emerge from pupal cases, and then release them to begin their journey to Mexico. 

This week, scientists on the border between Texas and Mexico are reporting that the leading edge of what at times resembles "a river of butterflies" is crossing the Rio Grande headed for overwintering sites in the mountains north of Mexico City. Back on campus, one Monarch year is winding down but the next is already underway. The milkweed plants in our gardens now are releasing their fluffy seeds. We are gathering those seeds so we can begin again this winter planting seeds and growing milkweed indoors to provide plants next spring to schools and families that want to create a patch of milkweed habitat for the declining Monarch butterfly population. If you would like the Environmental Club students to contact you when milkweed plants are available in the spring, email me.