In an exchange of cultural and environmental appreciation, young students from Sra. Hodes’ 1st-3rd grade classes are sending messages written in Spanish across the miles to their peers in Michoacán, México. These greetings, adorned with symbolic butterflies, are making their way to the beautiful oyamel fir forest, where monarch butterflies find winter sanctuary.
Along with the messages, our young students have been learning about the significance of the oyamel fir forest climate and ecosystem. They have come to understand how this very forest is essential for monarch butterflies to survive during winter.
The students in México eagerly anticipate receiving and reading the messages from their friends abroad. They’ve expressed their excitement and promised to send photos once the package arrives. Our symbolic butterflies are set to arrive in time for México’s vibrant Día de los Muertos celebration which happens to coincide with the time when the actual monarch butterflies flutter into their winter homes.