Ripley students, green thumbs to create butterfly garden
By Liz Dadson 

Education

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Ann Finlayson, back right, of the Ripley Horticultural Society presents tokens of appreciation to teacher Ann Ellis, back left, and her students, Megan Hirst (L), Eden Eveleigh, Chelsea Moore, Abby MacDonald, Muskan Chouhan, and Desiree MacLennan, for their presentation about butterflies  

Students in Ann Ellis' Grades 1 and 2 class at Ripley-Huron Community School not only learned about the life cycle of the Monarch butterfly but they are excited to tell everyone else.

Six students joined Ellis at the Ripley and District Horticultural Society meeting Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 20), to talk about the projects they did in association with the butterfly project. They wrote stories, created a cage to hold the butterflies, made posters, and wrote letters to their pen pals in New York City.

Two other classes at the school also studied butterflies in the fall and Ellis' class shared some of those stories as well.

Ellis and several of her colleagues took a course last August in Wiarton about the study of butterflies which they then incorporated into their classrooms.

"It is unbelievable the transformation of the caterpillar into the chrysalis," said Ellis, "and just as exciting when the butterfly emerges."

The butterflies were tagged and then let go for their journey to Mexico over the winter months. "We haven't heard anything about our butterflies," said Ellis. "It was nerve-wracking to put those tags on them, but it helps scientists track the Monarchs and see how they're doing."

Prior to beginning the school project, Ellis and her fellow teachers searched the area for Monarch eggs or small caterpillars. "We searched just about every ditch in Huron-Kinloss and came up with one egg," she said. "Monarchs are on the decline in this area."

The teachers ended up purchasing caterpillars from the Wings of Paradise Conservatory in Cambridge.

Meanwhile, the Ripley Horticultural Society, through the Ontario Horticultural Association, learned of the "Green  Apple School Program," offered by Metro Stores (A&P) to promote healthy living and a healthier environment at school and in the community. It is a one-year project which concludes this year.

"We informed the Ripley school principal of this program and the school applied for, and was awarded, the "Green Apple" grant of $1,000 to install a butterfly garden for the school's butterfly project," said Tryntje Eisen, president of the Ripley horticultural society.

"We congratulate the school and offer our help in installing the butterfly garden," she said. "We can also help you find Monarch eggs and little caterpillars for your next project."

Eden Eveleigh (L) and Megan Hirst talk about butterflies 

Ellis said the plan is to put the butterfly garden at the front of the school, under the windows to the office and the staff room. Students will add compost, manure and peat to the ground there, till it up and put butterfly-friendly plants there. Eventually, they hope to run a pathway through it so people can walk along and see the butterflies.

"We'd be glad to help you out," said Eisen.

Ellis gladly accepted, noting the school will need help over the summer months when the area requires weeding and watering.

"We look forward to working with these nature-loving youngsters," said Eisen. "Our theme for the 2010 horticultural year is 'Green Thumbs of the Future'. We hope to learn a lot from each other and pass on our knowledge about gardening to each other."

Ann Finlayson, a master gardener and district director with the horticultural society, presented tokens of appreciation to Ellis and her students.

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Thursday, January 21, 2010