As a homeschooling project Emma learned about monarch butterflies in Oakland. She illustrated their lifecycle and discussed how the gardens work to serve as a safe place for butterflies and other pollinators to visit.

Recently I learned this milkweed I photographed on Lakeshore Ave (seen in caterpillar photos below) is actually not the best kind of milkweed for monarchs. There are so many different varieties and it’s best to plant native species. It is all so interesting!

See also: previous posts on chrysalis and butterfly seen in the Gardens of Lake Merritt.