Monarch Farm: Pictures

So far, we have released 23 monarchs with many more caterpillars and eggs in the enclosure and in the house. Unfortunately, Flickr no longer has a way to share the albums on Blogger (insert complaint here), so here's a link out:

Monarchs 2014 (Photo Album)

Receive Text Alerts: Things to do in St. Paul this Summer

I am guessing that these are not going to be nature-exclusive, but you can sign up for text alerts about activities for kids in St. Paul.

Here's the press release:

Mayor Coleman, Superintendent Silva launch new parent-focused summer-program text service

New opt-in service will send reminders and tips to parents during the summer months in SAINT PAUL

Just in time for the end of the school year and the beginning of summer, Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent Valeria Silva today announced a new summer-program texting service for parents looking to find activities for their children while school is out.

“Summertime is a crucial period in our kids’ lives, and keeping their minds active to prevent summer learning loss is essential,” said Mayor Chris Coleman. “These text alerts offer an easy new tool for parents to keep up with the many great activities that are available to engage kids during the summer months.”

The opt-in text service includes tips on how to keep kids active and learning throughout the summer, while providing parents with ideas for how to ‘do the Summer Countdown,’ a key part of the citywide summer learning campaign.

The new text service is another tool, in addition to Sprockets’ Program Finder, for parents to keep up with out-of-school programs.

“Parents, caregivers, and families are important influences in a child's life and play a vital role at all stages of education,” said Supt. Valeria Silva. “This tool can help support parents in the summer as they look for things to do with their children.”

There are two ways parents can sign up using their mobile phone:

To subscribe for text alerts, text STPAUL SUMMER to 468311
To subscribe for email updates through text, text STPAUL SUMMER YourEmailHere to 468311

The City and school district will be promoting the texting service through a variety of channels this summer, including providing information and sign-up support at libraries and recreation centers, as well as through a series of recorded phone messages to families within the school district.

The summer program text reminders will run from early June to late August. Standard messaging and data rates may apply. Parents should refer to their wireless plan for details.

Monarch Farm: Update

I admit to being deeply skeptical of this. Not that it could be done, but that I could do it.

Milkweed, while not enjoying being pulled out of the ground, even with its own dirt, is droopy but hanging in there, and we have numerous caterpillars! I've been bring them in from the garden as well.

Finn is still finding it interesting and engaging.

It's all very pleasing.

Como Park Zoo and Conservatory

I'm trying to create this calendar for all of us up here in the Northland, and Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is not helping simply because they are awesome.

They post all their daily animal enrichment activities and zookeeper talks as well as ongoing exhibitions in a day-by-day, monthly calendar. It's really helpful for planning your summertime visit, especially if your child is obsessed with big cats. Check the schedule and go on a Big Cat Enrichment day.

I'm going to go through it and pull out events and programs like their new "Project Passport," which looks really cool and requires registration. But otherwise, you should just bookmark the site and remember to check in.

Monarch Farm

No, I am not talking about a pastoral compound where the children of royalty are raised far away from the stinking peasants, being groomed to take over the ceremonial duties of state with aplomb and inbreeding.

I'm talking butterflies!

A few days ago, I saw my first monarch of the season, a couple of days ago, I found some eggs, and this morning, a friend posted a picture of her wee caterpillars going to town on milkweed. In the comments, someone mentioned that she had brought in eggs just that morning, and a discussion followed that included parasitic wasps, exploding caterpillars, and joy-filled children handling sleepy, damp butterflies.

I poked around a (very) little bit on the oracle, and found a page that tells you how to raise these little guys and gals inside your house. This was appealing to me for a number of reasons. For one, my common milkweed comes up everywhere, including the driveway, and I try to get those out before the eggs show up. Bringing them inside meant that I could both remove the giant plant and save the eggs. Everybody wins! For two, in the past, I have grown very attached to what I come to consider My Caterpillars, and have experienced great sadness and rage when they are, say, attacked and devoured by vicious little evil red ants.

For three, in the past few years, I have noticed a great decline in all my usual butterflies, and I have not seen any caterpillars, so the idea that I could finally show the boy this whole process was perhaps the best part.

The blog I was reading suggests that you can put the leaf bearing the egg into a plastic container, but we chose to dig up a few whole plants, as we have a tall butterfly pavilion (which is not necessary, it was just laying around here at the house), and I wanted to remove the plants anyway. I will probably seek out other eggs and use the leaf-removal system from here on in.

Finn and I stepped out and examined many of the common milkweed plants that are poking their noses into undesirable garden spots and found three or four eggs. We dug up the plants and put them into used plastic containers and put the whole set-up into the butterfly pavilion. The whole operation took less than 15 minutes, and I was treated to an impromptu song from the boy about working together, doing things together, because we love each other. He also exclaimed "I love that we are doing this!"

Yeah. That pretty much melts my cold heart of stone.

So here I sit, at my kitchen table, a butterfly pavilion full of milkweed at my elbow. And I can already feel my maternal protectiveness setting in. I'll probably be checking these plants ten times a day and worrying about the eggs and subsequent caterpillars when I wake up in the middle of the night.

Calendar! Get OUT!

All right, I'm creating a calendar. It's slow-going. So far, I have added some astronomy happenings, events at the Bell Museum, Tamarack Nature Center, Festivals and Fairs happening around the Twin Cities (hey, I know these are not necessarily nature-y, but they are outside and usually free and there's probably a way for you to get some science and nature stuff out of the experience), and a few other things.

At this point, I am organizing it by region or sponsor (in the case of the University of Minnesota). I have a whole bunch of nature centers to add, as well as parks and don't even get me started on the fantastic stuff happening in our Minnesota State Parks.

If you have a suggestion for things to add to the calendar, please let me know in the comments!

Bell Museum Astronomer's Update

You can subscribe to the Bell Museum's Astronomer's Update and have it delivered directly to your email inbox! Or, you can be lazy and come here or to the budding calendar, and I'll tell you what's going on.

It not only lists events happening at the Bell Museum but events happening out in the skies, like the dwindling of the Big Red Spot on Jupiter and that on June 24, Venus will be really close to the crescent moon with Pleiades to the upper left. Set your alarm for 4:30 a.m., people! Or, if you're really lucky and have insomnia, like me, you can force yourself out of your trying-to-get-back-to-sleep rage space and stumble outside.

June's update is here.

Welcome to Winter in Minnesota

This winter has gotten the better of me, I have to admit, but Pete and Finn have been out and about sledding, building snowmen and snow forts, talking walks, and generally enjoying the days when it was not too cold to be outside.

Our Minnesota State Parks still have events happening, and I may have to kick myself out of the winter doldrums and make something happen. They also have a nice calendar including events three months out, if you can imagine that one day, it will be May, and you can go on a bird walk or take pictures outside without your camera battery freezing.