Magical Butterfly Camp teaches families about monarchs

by Sue Serdinak

Families learned about the monarch butterfly’s life cycle July 25 during the 15th annual Magical Butterfly Camp at Eastwood Preserve.

Ellen Daniels, park board member and manager of the butterfly program, talked to the families about the monarch butterfly and provided them with their own caterpillars, milkweed plants and a cage to watch the miraculous life cycle. According to Daniels, some of these butterflies will join the thousands of others in early September to migrate 3,500 miles to Mexico. They will travel as much as 50 miles per day, reaching speeds of 50 mph if they can locate warm air currents to propel them southwest.

Daniels has been raising and releasing monarchs for more than 30 years.

Photo caption: Ellen Daniels explains the metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to butterfly at Magical Butterfly Camp at Eastwood Preserve. Photo submitted. Photos: