Monarch & Meadow Month: Monarch Life Cycle

At Duke Farms, August marks Monarch and Meadow Month as we focus on the multitude of magnificent stories of the interactions between and among this biodiverse ecosystem. The monarch butterfly is certainly one of the featured creatures, but as the month unfolds, you will soon discover through activities, lesson plans, videos, book links, and creative resources, much more about why our meadows need to be maintained and preserved.

Most people are familiar with the butterfly life cycle - it starts off with an egg, which turns into a caterpillar, which grows into a chrysalis, where a newly-formed butterfly emerges. You may know about these different stages of life, but have you ever seen each phase? This resource is jam-packed with brilliant photos and resources on the monarch caterpillar's marvelous transformation into a butterfly. Watch timelapse videos of the metamorphosis and try your hand at numbering the life phases in the correct order.

Download the full PDF here.

This resource was a collaborative effort on behalf of the Duke Farms Education team.