I’ve always loved the monarch butterflies that congregated on the Bay, and I missed them when they disappeared, along with the milkweed that is an essential part of their life cycle. Today, though, I found lots of milkweed in bloom on the shore – and a monarch, too!
[Edit 7/9/08] After this post went up I realized I’d been lazy. Our monarch inspired Australia’s Ms. S. to post a whole lesson plan on My Science Program. The least I can do is to point you to the Point Pelee National Park website where you can learn lots more about monarch migration. (Point Pelee is a needle-thin peninsula pointing south into Lake Erie from Ontario towards Ohio. The monarchs rendezvous there in the fall for the lake crossing – smart monarchs! – and it’s quite a sight.)
Ms. S suggested a haiku exercise. Here’s mine:
On the sandy shore
Bees find milkweed blooms again
Monarchs come to feast
Torch Lake Views 
Anon.
July 8, 2008
Ahhh, I keep meaning to introduce this to my students, to have them study the Monarch butterfly…
Now I am on holidays, and I won’t remember in two weeks time!
Gerry Sell
July 8, 2008
Well, I figure something brought you here today, and something will bring you back in a couple of weeks – just in time for an update on the milkweed and the monarchs!