Margret, you asked why KU lepidopterists would allow the ham-fisted public to slap tags on delicate monarchs. I have been told this:
1. Monarchs are surprisingly hardy. They have to be to endure their long journey.
2. While "the public" is welcome, KU takes it on faith that the only people who will drag themselves (and their kids) out of bed early on Saturday and be willing to wade through chest-high grass, are egghead butterly lovers anyway who will be gentle with them.
Speaking of eggheads, Amy was here just in time to witness the butterfly emerging from its chrysalis! Pretty cool - the swollen abdomen and wrinkly wings all turned into a sleek adult butterfly within minutes. Yes, tagging kits - a great idea.
We also played with a broken foosball table at the rec center. Yep, I can really show a teenager a good time.
Maybe Liz has to contend with a lot of college student drivers in her part of Norman, but all I can say is: watch those one way streets!
2 comments:
hey there! It does kind of make sence that only the truely dedicated eggheads would go thru that. Are you gonna do it?
so cool you got to have amy to visit - good way to end the summer
I was interested to read this bit of info on the monarch watch site concerning children tagging butterflies:How old do you have to be to do this?
Some teachers have expressed concern regarding the participation of young children (second graders and up) in the tagging project. As it turns out, tagging can actually be easier with the aid of very small finger tips! Some adults and teachers found that if they held the butterfly, the children were actually more adept at applying the tags than they were and we've even had reports of 4 year olds helping by learning how to identify the "boy and girl" butterflies.... I'm sure the young'uns also have much better eyesight. At least better than mine.
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