Lakewood Park Pre-K and Kindergarten students were invited to take part in creating memorable human and nature connections through the live release of butterflies. The revealing and releasing of the butterflies occurred in our new school garden to help positively support their lifespan so they can survive and thrive longer during their initial transition from captivity into the wild. Before transforming into butterflies, the caterpillars were kept in a meshed enclosure in one of our grade Kindergarten classrooms. From late-Winter through early-Spring, the caterpillars transformed from a pupa, also known as a chrysalis, and underwent metamorphosis to become butterflies. Before the butterflies were ready to be released, apple slices were placed in the meshed enclosure to help provide some basic nutrients. Students tracked the life cycle of the butterflies in their journals.
