nature
PLANT THEM AND THEY WILL COME Amonarch butterfly rests on abutterfly bush in aGow Road backyard in Wayne .
BEAUTY IN FLIGHT
Wayne familyraises monarch butterflies
WRITTEN BY PHILIP DEVENCENTIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN R . WEXLER
There are alot of mouths to feed in the Whalen household . Anywhere from two to 70 , depending on the temperature , the time of year and the health of the milkweed patch in the family ’ s fenced-in backyard on Gow Road .
Recently , for instance , there were at least adozen — two boys , 3-yearold Matthew and 5-year-old Michael , and the latest turnout of hungry caterpillars and monarch butterflies that they were diligently caring for .
As the caterpillars noshed on leaves of milkweed , a young butterfly that the boys were raising in a mesh terrarium was sipping nectar from a purple flower . He — and yes , they were sure of its gender — was just about ready to be set free .
Kathleen Whalen , 35 , the boys ’ mother and a former teacher , says their summer activity is a valuable lesson that reinforces appreciation and love for all living creatures .
“ The most important thing I want my children to take away is that their actions have an effect on the environment ,” says Whalen , who now writes professional development plans for teachers .
The boys also learn about the life cycle — that when a caterpillar crawls to the ceiling of the plastic habitat in which the critters are kept , it will form a chrysalis and emerge two weeks later as a black and orange butterfly .
After that , the boys may keep it for a time in the terrarium before they let it go . The butterfly will travel with millions of other monarchs for 2,500 miles to spend its winter in the
30 FALL 2022 WAYNE MAGAZINE