Monarchs, Milkweed and Migration: A Middle School Expedition

On Monday, November 28, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina (EEASC) will host its Monarchs, Milkweed and Migration: A Middle School Expedition educational session at Irmo Middle School, located at 6051 Wescott Road, in Columbia. Attendees will learn how teachers at Irmo Middle School are using the issue of declining monarch butterfly populations as a lens to engage students in regular studies and curriculum, based on applicable standards and the collection of real scientific data that will help to determine the migration routes of East Coast monarch butterflies. Featuring informative lectures from lead teachers, student scientists and community stakeholders, the learning session includes the creation of a garden on school grounds with a variety of plants to attract monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Students will capture and tag monarchs that are attracted to the garden. A key objective of the session is to educate the community and encourage citizens to plant native milkweed in order to build back the corridor necessary to aid in conservation of the species.

Cost: Free, EEASC members; $5, non-EEASC members (pay at the door by cash or check). To RSVP and for more information, contact Jane Hiller at 803-779-0608 or [email protected].