A Sparta teacher follows the Monarchs on their timeless journey

Sparta - Butterflies are not only free, but according to second grade Helen Morgan teacher Joann Ostrowski, they’re also fascinating enough to follow all the way to Mexico, for an up close and personal look. Ostrowski’s journey into the heart of Mexico to see the Monarchs return from their international flight started several months earlier in her classroom. With magnifying glasses in hand, Ostrowski introduced her students to the life cycle of the Monarch. The students learned how to identify milkweed on the school grounds, how quickly the larva grows into caterpillars and how “messy” they become because of their ravenous appetites. The students witnessed the transformation into chrysalis and finally into butterflies. “We shared our experiences with other classes. When the first butterfly emerged it was a miracle. The kids were so excited. It was a girl!” said Ostrowski. Following several more “miracles,” the students tagged and released their colorful friends, tracking them as they migrated south, using their newly acquired map and compass skills. Throughout the following months, Ostrowski continued to incorporate the Monarchs’ journey into the curriculum through activities. “I made Christmas balls for each student using the fluff and the seeds from the milkweed pods they collected,” said Ostrowski. The class project grew tremendously when Ostrowski received notification that she was awarded a fellowship by the GR Dodge Foundation to follow the Monarchs in their winter migration to Mexico. On Friday Feb. 24, she joined her Monarchs. When her plane landed in Mexico, the Sparta teacher began what she described as a “spiritual experience, with each day an adventure filled with discovery and astonishment.” Ostrowski recalls her heart actually fluttering as she entered El Rosario, a Monarch butterfly sanctuary located 130 miles west of Mexico City, in the state of Michoacán. “Nothing could prepare me for the wonderment of the millions of butterflies. They looked smaller and so fragile, with their tattered, dirt-covered wings. How these gentle creatures overcame the obstacles of wind, weather, and distance is a miracle in itself,” said Ostrowski. “I felt like a child lying on the ground looking up at them all. If you were quiet, you could actually hear them. It was so overwhelming that it brought tears to my eyes.” Ostrowski plans to use the knowledge she has gained to educate other teachers over the summer. She believes these gentle creatures provide a strong message of harmony and survival. “The Monarchs bring us a unified message; to preserve life’s delicate balance and its miracles for the future of our children. Hope is in the air as the monarchs continue their quest back north, spreading the news of renewed life and the future of good things to come,” she said. “This experience is truly the eighth wonder of the world, and this journey will continue.”