By: Francesca Mundrick, Founder & Executive Director
In Spring 2002, during Second Grade, my Teacher started a lesson plan called “The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly”. Our task as learners was to monitor the changing stages of the Monarch over several weeks- a common part of most Elementary curriculum in New Jersey.
As I watched that egg turn into a caterpillar, a chrysalis, and then an adult Monarch Butterfly, something ignited in me.
In early October, after weeks of rearing, we were set to release our Monarch friends into the wild world. Monarchs emerging in late September or October are migratory. These Monarchs are a “Super Generation” that fly back to Mexico where they overwinter in the ancestral Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
Upon release, we watched as the Monarchs flew away high in the sky. They represented a sense of freedom and hope that I related to. They were energetic, unafraid, and ready for anything it seemed- fitting for an orange-colored creature. We waved goodbye and wished our friends well on their journey to Mexico.
When I reflect on this moment, I recognize that I had such a profound spiritual understanding from this experience. I somehow understood the intrinsic value of life and much grander innerworkings and complexities of the Earth. From this moment on, it wasn’t just that I was curious about nature, I began to uncover my connection to the local environment and other living things. I began to view the nature of New Jersey as a living, breathing part of my life, as another guardian shaping and molding me.
The Monarch Moment is the place in time where my identity as a rewilder was born and my future as an environmental leader began.
This Fall, at age 30, I participated in my first Elementary School Monarch release as an environmental professional. On the Pitman High School grounds, Memorial Elementary School 1st Graders sat before me dressed in their Monarch wings and hats. I told them the story of my Monarch Moment. I explained that while I am now a Professor, Rewilding Advocate, and Community Leader, once upon a time I was a little girl who loved Monarchs just like them. Without that love I would not be who I am today.
Every year, I wait for the natural promise of the Monarchs’ return. This is a form of ceremony to me. The arrival and departure of these creatures reminds me of my roots and represents a nostalgic symbol of my life. It is important to consider, what is your version of the Monarch Moment?
Monarch Butterfly Education has been made possible over many generations through the passionate work of the Monarch Teacher Network founded in New Jersey by Paula Hayes, Erik Mollenhauer, Kris Mollenhauer, Maria Keefe, and Brian Hayes. https://monarchteachernetwork.org/
It is important to note that rearing Monarch Butterflies, meaning harvesting eggs from the wild and raising butterflies in captivity to be released, comes with pluses and minuses. The most powerful thing that we can do is plant a diversity of native plants that provide resources for pollinators and, of course, plant more Milkweed species, the host plant of the Monarch Butterfly.
To learn more about Fran, visit About the Founder.
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