Mary Queen’s Memorial Garden is now a certified Monarch Waystation thanks to Kindergarten teacher Margaret Bayma.
“I worked with a group this summer to earn the certification,” Ms. Bayma said. “We even got a plaque the other day!”
Ms. Bayma thanked the Jesse Higginbotham Technology Trust for their help in the process and said the waystations’ purpose is to help monarchs in mating and laying eggs before they eventually migrate to Mexico.
“I thought this would be a good science project for the kids,” Ms. Bayma said. “We are hopefully going to do a field trip associated with it as well. I love the hands-on learning.”
Ms. Bayma said this has launched another project all elementary students are doing with Senora Ortegon in Spanish class.
Senora Ortegon explained that students will send butterflies they make to a class in Mexico this fall and then the butterflies will be sent back in the spring. “This is a symbolic migration,” Senora Ortegon said.
Senora Ortegon described a region of Mexico where monarchs migrate called Michoacán. “If you can imagine 100+ year-old, enormous trees. They go from being the normal green to completely orange because they are covered with monarchs.”
Senora Ortegon said she learned about the symbolic migration from other teachers online who said the program is very fun and engaging. Both she and Ms. Bayma said they are excited for these new learning opportunities for Mary Queen students.
