Butterfly Update

Date:   10/8/2007 11:06:40 PM ( 17 y ago)

1:38 PM
October 8, 07

THE HISTORY OF PEACE ON EARTH--
You can't chase butterflies. You have to wait for them to land.
That was what I learned visiting Ellen Bialik
and the Butterfly Garden she has inspired at the
McAuliffe Elementary school in Oceanside.

I visited here Monday, October 1, 2007.

I came to take photos of butterflies.
I had to wait on them.

I perched up against a tree.
One Monarch finally came by
after 15 minutes.

I was ready.
I got a good photo,
and wonderful photos of the catepillars.

Here is a link for the story in the newspaper:

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/05/news/coastal/21_17_0410_4_07.txt



This ties in with the Enchanted Garden
Kid Project--Good Neighbors...
and also....

Enchanted Garden's for Kids in the Schools
Growing more Holy Land with Earth Worms.
Mini Enchanted Gardens

___

North County Times,
October 5, 07
Getting Butterflies

_____


http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/10/05/news/coastal/21_17_0410_4_07.txt


Oceanside students work to maintain butterfly garden

By: STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer

OCEANSIDE ---- A group of second-grade students' eyes lit up Thursday at McAuliffe Elementary School as their teacher Ellen Bialik pulled a couple of caterpillars out of the school's butterfly garden and called children up in groups to compare the different species.

"I just like the creepy, crawly things," said Jillian Thomas, one of the students.

Bialik's class had a chance to get a close look at the monarch and swallowtail caterpillars, thanks to a butterfly garden that students and teachers have cultivated over the last two years.

Bialik started the garden in 2005 with a $500 grant from the Village Garden Club of La Jolla in an area that was previously nothing but weeds and dirt.

In addition to beautifying the Oceanside Unified School District campus, the garden also gives teachers a living ecosystem they can use to help get students excited about science lessons. So far, four different species of butterflies call the garden home, Bialik said.

While studying in the garden, students learn about the caterpillars' transformation into butterflies and what each needs to survive.

"We're teaching the kids about everything that's involved in an ecosystem," Bialik said. "This ecosystem ties in all the different curriculum from all of the different grade levels."

Bialik said she also hopes the children learn how to interact peacefully with nature.

Second-grader Emanuel Castillo said seeing the butterflies and caterpillars up close has taught him how important it is to take care of all creatures, big and small.

Meanwhile classmate Martin Tinch said he wasn't as enthralled by the garden as the other students appeared to be.

"I'm just not into bugs," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Principal Mary Gleisberg said she is thrilled to have the butterflies on the campus.

"It's really great to be able to bring hands-on nature to the children," she said. "They really love it."

Bialik said she is planning to expand the garden onto a larger portion of the campus that isn't being used now. The school was recently given a $2,500 gardening grant from the state to help pay for that project.

Though Bialik and her students maintain the garden, they haven't been working alone. Not only have other teachers and students helped out, even parents are joining in, coming by after school sometimes to help pull weeds.

"The level of enthusiasm is phenomenal," she said. "People are so excited about this."

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 901-4009 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.



 

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