The Family that Raises Monarch Butterflies…

CLOQUET, MINN.  – The Monarch Butterfly is a very important pollinator and within the last two decades, the number of them has decreased significantly.

But you wouldn’t be able to tell that visiting with a family in Cloquet who has three generations raising Monarch Butterflies and teaching their children about life.

It was a fifth-grade class project that began this family’s fascination with Monarch Butterflies. Now the wonder of watching the stages of life, and death, in the monarch world has expanded to all the kids and grandkids.

The hobby took off when after Kayleen became enamored with the whole life cycle of the butterfly in her fifth-grade class and began teaching her family.

Kayleen’s Mom Darlene said she would, “tell us step by step, now is gotta go into a “ J “ and it’s gotta turn green.  So, She really knew.”

“They eventually turn into a J and then they will turn into a cocoon and it turns black and they eventually turn into butterflies,”. Kyleen explained.

It’s that kind of dedication that’s led to the whole family taking part in raising the monarchs. It’s a simple enough process to get started in this hobby.

Darlene said, “Kaiden the oldest one who’s taken over the role of doing the monarch butterflies again, So all of them had went out and gotten caterpillars and got their places ready.”

Rylee talked about the habitat needed,  “It’s super easy. You just put in some milkweed, sticks, they eat the milkweed, you spray some water in there, it just kind of helps them.

As the life cycle continues, the kids’ eyes grow even wider as they can see the changes continue to take place.

This year the family gathered about 80 of the caterpillars and is looking forward to most of them maturing and being set free.