Among the many Butterflies: Reflections from Our Monarch Scholarship Winners
4 distinctive educators earned a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to witness the monarch migration on Nat Hab’s Kingdom of the Monarchs journey, journeying deep into Central Mexico’s forested highlands alongside professional naturalist guides. Surrounded by towering oyamel fir timber blanketed with hundreds of thousands of delicate, orange-and-black butterflies, the academics noticed firsthand the extraordinary spectacle of monarchs gathering at their winter roosting grounds. Right here, two of our Monarch Butterfly Scholarship Grant recipients share reflections on this unforgettable expertise:
Lindsey Paulsen: From Snowstorms to Sanctuaries
This winter, I had the unbelievable honor of receiving the Monarch Butterfly Grant Scholarship from Pure Habitat Adventures, which supplied a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to go to the monarch butterflies of their overwintering sanctuaries in Mexico—one thing I’ve taught my first-grade college students about for years however by no means dreamed I’d witness firsthand.
Attending to Mexico was difficult resulting from a winter storm in my space. Fortunately, I made it by the snow to the airport, and my flight miraculously departed on time. It actually felt just like the journey was meant to be.
Upon arriving in Mexico Metropolis, I met fellow scholarship-winning educators. Collectively, we visited an anthropology museum crammed with fascinating artifacts from historic Maya, Inca and Aztec civilizations—completely aligned with an upcoming unit for my first graders. I eagerly took quite a few photos, excited to deliver these real-world visuals again to my classroom.
The next day, we journeyed into the mountains to go to one of many monarch sanctuaries. The expertise was surreal—touring in open-bed vehicles, driving horseback and mountaineering the mountain path. Coming from small-town Indiana, I by no means imagined myself in such a distant, sacred and delightful location. Reaching the grove the place 1000’s of monarchs roosted overwhelmed me emotionally. The timber had been heavy with butterflies, their delicate wings creating an ethereal hush. It was chilly and damp, so most monarchs remained stationary, however simply standing there—witnessing one thing I’d solely examine—was breathtaking.
Every subsequent sanctuary go to was uniquely particular, and we discovered a lot from our native guides and one another. I eagerly shared my journey in real-time with my college students, sending emails and movies immediately from the mountain, and ready a journey journal for my class to observe my journey. This expertise represented every part training needs to be: genuine, significant and stuffed with marvel.
This unbelievable journey enriched my life and supplied highly effective tales to share with my college students. Standing the place the monarchs relaxation is an expertise I’ll carry ceaselessly.
Jeanine Ging: Inspiring Classes at Dwelling and Overseas
The experience as much as the Monarch Sanctuary was thrilling and refreshingly cool at the back of our truck. I used to be excited to experience on horseback, one thing I hadn’t finished since I used to be an adolescent. After dismounting and starting the hike up the mountain proper behind our information, actuality actually set in—I used to be lastly going to witness the phenomenon of overwintering monarchs. After years of educating kids and adults about monarch life cycles, the migration and milkweed, and spending autumns tagging monarchs for citizen science, it felt surreal to be there in individual. Respiratory closely from the climb and feeling the burn in my legs, I paused when our information pointed into the timber. The day was foggy, and thru the mist, I may simply make out the monarch clusters gathered within the branches. Standing quietly, I used to be awed by the sight earlier than I began capturing images and movies to deliver this unbelievable expertise again residence. I even activated my Mission Monarch app, hoping to detect a monarch outfitted with a transmitter.
It was surreal to face silently among the many timber, observing lots of of monarchs clustered collectively, showing as if they had been dripping from the branches. I saved pondering, “I’m actually right here.” The variability within the formations fascinated me—some clusters thick and dense, others unfold throughout branches. Monarchs additionally scattered the bottom and bushes, with the occasional solitary butterfly resting alone.
Our Nat Hab Expedition Leaders anticipated each attainable want, mixing journey with consolation. They shared in depth information about monarchs, native tradition and historical past, at all times able to reply questions and accommodate particular requests like birdwatching and tasting native chocolate.
This scholarship supplied invaluable experiences, images and information I can now share with my college students and group by displays, walks and tagging occasions, encouraging others to care about monarchs and their habitats. Thanks for this superb alternative!
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