James Morden Students Head Out on Butterfly Road Show 

On Wednesday, June 3, the Grade 2/3 class from James Morden Public School will hit the road to save the monarch butterfly. The students will pile aboard a bus, donated by the City of Niagara Falls, to visit neighbouring public schools to encourage them to create their own butterfly gardens.  

“Our students have been working on an inquiry unit on monarch butterflies all year,” said Melissa McKinney-Lepp, teacher. “They researched the problem and came up with a great solution and now we want to share what we’ve learned with other schools in our area so they can become involved in butterfly conservation.” 

The students’ research revealed that Monarch Butterfly populations have been on the decline for many years. Parks Canada now classifies monarchs as a “Species at Risk.” In Niagara, monarchs are experiencing a decline in their primary food source, milkweed, as a result of new development and the perception the plant is just a weed. 

To give the monrach’s a place they can flourish, student’s decided to install a butterfly garden at their school, complete with milkweed plants. They applied for and received a grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation to purchase milkweed. 

“Our class thought we could have an even bigger impact if we shared what we learned. The City of Niagara Falls was kind enough to provide us with a bus to transport students so we can deliver milkweed and support other schools in creating butterfly gardens,” said McKinney-Lepp.  

Students will be visiting a total of five public schools.  

James Morden is located at 7112 Dorchester Road in Niagara Falls.