Celebrating life cycles with Retirees

[Monarch MaMa]

The activity director at the retirement center I'm employed at asked me to do a presentation with my monarchs instead of their former routine of buying the painted lady kits. I had just found a 12 day old cat on the grounds that was setting up for its J and also had one egg & chrysalis to show them. I left the J cat & chrysalis there as a display along with a "poster" printed from monarchwatch. Although some residents were a bit senile, many approached me later with lots of questions. One former physics professor took a lot of interest and he now is rearing 2 cats himself. I'll bring in fresh milkweed often for his cats because he cannot leave but its worth it to educate everyone in conservation. That chrysalis hatched last Friday 7/31 and I found it seconds after it emerged, wings crumpled and I was able to show it to several of them as they ate breakfast. It was exciting to see their wonderment over the transition from a crumpled wing to a full wing in 15 minutes.