Event Details


On Saturday afternoon, September 20 at 2 PM, noted local naturalist/teacher Becky Lash will present a program about Monarch butterflies at the Woods Hole Public Library. For years Becky has been introducing children to insects in entomology classes at the Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole. In fact, she can claim to have inspired some of her students to go on to graduate studies in entomology.

Throughout the late summer she has been supplying the Library with a constant crop of milkweed, complete with Monarch eggs and caterpillars. They grow larger and larger, form beautiful lime green chrysalids with metallic golden spots, and become adults, right in the middle of the Library’s Children’s Room. So far, the Library has released more than 20 Monarch adults outside, carefully transporting them to local buddleias, sunflowers, and zinnias. People stand in awe and admiration as the butterflies flap their beautiful new deep orange wings for the first time in the sunshine, and raise themselves aloft.

Becky’s program at the Library will explain the life cycle of Monarchs, giving details of where they come from, how they live, and where they go. She will undoubtedly have some caterpillars or chrysalids to show. Her enthusiasm for these creatures will be contagious to all.

Following Becky’s presentation, participants will move to a hands-on craft activity of decorating life-size paper monarchs to mail as part of a “migration,” an inter-national educational project sponsored by “Journey North- The Symbolic Migration.” The paper butterflies will be used to promote both international friendships among children and Monarch conservation in Mexico.

For more information, call the Library at 508-548-8961.