MIGRATING MONARCHS

Over the last several years, I have noticed a considerable decline in the number of monarchs passing through Brooklyn on their way to wintering grounds in Mexico. In fact, I've only seen one monarch and it was flying above Albemarle Road during a recent school fire drill. Lots of kids noticed it!

Click here to find out what scientists are saying about the monarch decline

Scientists are constantly studying the movement of these creatures and often turn to citizen scientists--people like you and me--for crucial data that helps them look for trends, declines and rebounds. To help these scientists, I am recording any sitings on their website and you can too.

Click here to report your monarch butterfly sitings

This is the class monarch we made and sent to Mexican students

Ms. Dalonzo's second grade class and I are also participating in a symbolic monarch migration. That means each student has created a paper monarch and the class has made a larger monarch to send to students in Mexico. So just like the real monarchs flying south for the winter, our paper monarchs are making a symbolic journey south as well. In spring, when monarchs leave their wintering grounds, symbolic paper monarchs made by some other students will make their way north to P.S. 230 with each students in Ms. Dalonzo's class getting a new monarch!

The monarchs at their wintering grounds in Mexico. They hang out in clusters.

This website has tons of great information on monarchs and more!