Monarch Butterflies: Transformations

This is a story of butterflies and a quest to hold onto summer for just a bit longer. Friday, while making a paltry attempt at getting back into an exercise routine at our “good deal” health club after a summer of wandering, I saw a news clip on the a monarch butterfly migration program at Blendon Woods, one of the parks in the Columbus MetroParks system. As it was 12:30 pm and I was just finishing up, I thought, “Gee, I think we can get there by the 1 o’clock session.”

Then I remembered that my son, who was playing in the gym’s kids club, was wearing his Batman Halloween costume with nothing on underneath but his underwear. He insisted that morning that he hadn’t worn it in such a long time. Since the hem is creeping up towards his ankles, I thought about how his days of wearing it are numbered and gave in. Still, being that it was 96 degrees outside–not the type of weather for being outdoors to learn about monarch butterflies if one is wearing a black polyester pantsuit, even if one is a superhero, I decided we should forgo the experience. I’m willing to go anywhere at anytime on a whim, but figured my son needed a break from my travel addiction.

As we headed home, my son talked about how we could see the monarchs next year, and I felt woeful thinking just how long next year can be. Next year, he’ll be six going on seven, and not five and less than a week before I send him off to kindergarten. Lately, I’ve been in the “We’d better get in the last moments of freedom and we’ll never have these days again” mode.

Then Saturday, when I set out to write a post about monarch butterfly events initiated by the news clip, I linked to Blendon Woods and discovered that there’s a reason to have earphones when exercising. When I glanced at one of the TVs hanging from the ceiling, I was relying on the closed captions for information and missed a crucial point. For some reason I thought the program was on Friday. Nope, it was Saturday–like in one hour. We hadn’t missed it at all. Great!

“Help get your brother ready,” I yelled down to my daughter as I hit save. “I”m taking him to see some butterflies.”

But, the phone rang so I answered it.

Then a man came by to see if we need to replace some slates on our roof.

Then I went right instead of left after the highway exit ramp. (I don’t head to this part of Columbus but once a year.)

Then, once I found Blendon Woods, I couldn’t find where the program was. I didn’t have this map with me.

We missed the program. No one was where it was to be held–and we even wandered down a trail looking for anyone who could tell us something about monarchs.

I thought, “at least it’s not 96 degrees today ” and headed us to the park’s nature center to see what we would find there. There we found Sarah, the director of Blendon Woods, and the brains behind its monarch bonanza.

Sarah was tending to the catepillars, the crysalis and the already hatched monarchs but was happy to give my son and me, plus another family who rushed in after us, a private lesson. Sarah is wild about butterflies. She’s the Martha Stewart of the butterfly world. I was as enthralled as my son was with the habitats she has created.

While she tranferred catepillars to the butterfly-shaped butterfly hatcher she designed, she let my son hold a catepillar for awhile. You can see how the chrysalis (the cocoons), the catepillars the one hatched monarch have become a living piece of art. Right before the monarchs hatch, their folded wings are visible through the cocoons’ transluscent covering.

Along with designing the butterfly shaped butterfly holder, Sarah designed a dream catcher that the catepillars also attach to as a place to do their morph magic. You can see the catcher hanging from the ceiling. When I saw it, I wished I had one. Can you imagine having dreams while butterflies hatch while you sleep?

Outside the center, a patio screenroom turned into a butterfly house, provides a place for the monarchs to thrive. On September 15 on Butterfly Day, Blendon Woods will become the starting point for the monarchs’ journey to Mexico.

Until then, some monarchs hang out in the screen room. You can see one of them on the hanging flower pot. There were others resting on the ceiling and others fluttering about the room. Actually, not all monarchs make the trip. According to Sarah, some will decide to breed and stay around. Others head south. If the butterflies take the journey, they can live for 9 months. If they breed, they last for about 30 days. So, it’s Mexico or kids. What a decision that is. As for me, I’m thinking that Mexico wouldn’t be a bad place to take the kids. I’ve read about places you can go there to see the monarchs before they make their journey north.

With two and a half days left until I send my son through that kindergarten door, I’m continuing to look for places on our journey of packing in memories of this summer. As for the roof, there are 4 slates that need fixing, but not until December when the monarchs will have made it to Mexico. There is another post coming on where you might find monarchs on their journey, but obviously, I got sidetracked.

The photo at the beginning is of the girl’s hands who was with the family who joined us for the monarch lesson. She looked to be about 9 years old and was pleased to show off the catepillar she was holding. If you look closely you’ll see a bit of pink nail polish.