By: Frank C. D’Amico
ROOSEVELT – The monarch butterfly launch is an annual occurrence for Ilene Levine’s fourth-grade class.
It’s also a big deal for the rest of the Roosevelt Public School.
Since the beginning of the school year in September, Ms. Levine’s class has raised and cared for 31 butterflies.
"They cleaned their cages, they wrote about them and they charted their growth," Ms. Levine said.
On Oct. 27, Ms. Levine’s class released the butterflies from their containers, freeing them to migrate south.
"They head towards Florida and Mexico," Ms. Levine said. "Monarchs are a hardy breed."
The remainder of children in the K-6 school, and some parents, gathered behind the facility in the butterfly garden to watch Ms. Levine’s class release the orange and black butterflies.
Mrs. Levine’s students were assisted by the third-grade class.
"It’s an amazing experience for them to see the life cycle of the butterfly," Ms. Levine said.
The students cared for the butterflies from when they were in eggs, through the chrysalis stage and finally as full-formed butterflies.
In Ms. Levine’s classroom, a large wooden cabinet built by a parent housed the butterflies.
Allison Harding, who named her two charges Happy and Butter said she liked feeding them the best. The children fed the butterflies honeywater, she said.
Another student, Jonah Atwood, said he liked the way the butterflies tickled his hand when he held them. Jonah also said he put his butterfly on his nose, because it tickled.
Ms. Levine said the students launched the butterflies in unison because the insects like to travel in groups.
At the count of three, the students opened the containers and the butterflies fluttered away.
While parents and Ms. Levine snapped photos, many of the butterflies floated up to nearby tree branches before making the trip southward.
One particularly pesky butterfly, cared for by Naomi Coleman, refused to leave her hand.
Ms. Levine said the butterfly would take off once its wings were warmed by the sun, and it eventually did.
"They were like our pets, but we have to release them into nature," Ms. Levine told the students as they released the butterflies.
