Returning after two years means resuming all our initiatives, which surely entails bringing back our beloved Butterfly on the Road Program.
Our Butterfly On The Road Program
Is part of our commitment to work with the local communities in building awareness and educating our youngest citizens on the many miracles of nature. Our school tours started in 2004 but the butterflies had been in residence at Chaa Creek since 1993 when they arrived from Punta Gorda with soil expert Charles Wright. Their arrival spurred the opening of our Natural History Centre in 1995. Since its inception over 800 primary school students have benefited.
This Time: A Visit To Bullet Tree Falls Village
Our expert Naturalist Guide Emil Segura packed up his essentials, loaded them in a signature white Chaa Creek van, and hit the George Price Highway headed to the riverside village of Bullet Tree Falls, located approximately 5 kilometres from San Ignacio Town.
We opted to visit a group of imaginative pre-schoolers from Bullet Tree Falls Preschool, who greeted us with sunnysmiles on a rainy morning. Emil unloaded his luggage: butterfly eggs, caterpillars, leaves, a pupa, and Blue Morpho and Malachite Butterflies.
As he prepared to share about the butterfly’s life cycle, the children excitedly gathered around a small rectangular table suitable for tiny humans. This made us feel like giants! Talk about a trip down memory lane.
A Tale Of A Thousand Colors
He spun a tale of emerging life that truly captured the children’s curiosity. He began his story with “when a momma butterfly found the greenest leaves to lay her eggs.” Hanging from his every word, the kids showed undeniable enthusiasm, and learned about the life cycle of a butterfly. From the moment the Butterfly lays its eggs to when it develops into a caterpillar, it spins itself into a cozy cocoon and finally emerges into the world as a stunning life form.
Beyond Telling Into Showing
Education goes beyond books; research has shown that children learn more when actively involved in a hands-on experience. We are more than happy to take that extra step and go beyond telling into showing about the life cycle of a butterfly and the role they have in our ecosystem.
