So many people and events positively influence our children. We may be thankful for a piano teacher, a field trip that inspired a passion for geology, or the random person who was kind to our child at the grocery store last week. Enduring or fleeting, they all matter. A recent news item reminded me that I’m especially thankful for Monarch butterflies.
Monarch butterflies were the inspiration for our very first Jane Goodall Roots and Shoots service-learning project in 2014. They captured our imagination and helped change the way our homeschool group approached student volunteer work. We learned about Monarchs, planted milkweed for them, and gave away thousands of milkweed seeds. We were even inspired to do a play about them.
I was reminded of the Monarch’s importance to me, my children, and the families in our homeschool group when I read about this year’s 25th Annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. After several worrisome years, the struggling species of Monarch butterflies is showing up in promising numbers at their overwintering sites this year. It’s wonderful to think that, in a small way, our students have helped the Monarch butterfly population.
Inspiration for Continued Work
In turn, our experience with the Monarch butterfly project set us on a path for continued service work and community involvement. Through these projects, we’ve met our mayor, city council members, business owners, and private citizens who’ve both supported our students and learned from them.
In 2015, we were invited to meet Jane Goodall and plant a tree in a ‘Gombe Grove’ in Boulder. This circle of trees was planted at a local school to recognize her efforts in Gombe, Africa and around the world. It’s also a tribute to her initiative to plant more trees.
It’s funny how things come full circle. For their eighth annual service-learning project, our students are working to promote tree awareness and conservation. A few weeks ago, my 15-year-old and I visited the Gombe Grove tree we planted.
Like the tree, our students have grown. Several of the students from that 2014 project are in college now. But three of the original members (in middle and high school now) are still participating, including my youngest son.
So yes, I’m thankful for Monarch butterflies. Beyond their task of pollinating and their place in our ecosystem, they’ve had a positive influence on our homeschool students.
Making a Difference
I’m also grateful for our students. For their ideas and enthusiasm. For their willingness to work and try to make positive changes in our world.
Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter.
Harold Kushner
Finally, I’m thankful that our students have had validation from the Jane Goodall Institute, from the City of Lakewood with several Sustainability Awards, and from members of our community who have supported our students’ efforts and let them know that yes, they do matter.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Learn more about this year’s Thanksgiving count for Monarch Butterflies here.