The Lifecycle of a Monarch Butterfly - Outdoor Adventure for Kids

Let's see what the adventure wheel has for us today. Oh it's a mystery. Let's go. Hey guys my name is River Stewart and today we're at my grandma and grandpa's garden and you're not gonna believe what I found. Check this out. It's a monarch caterpillar. Let's learn about its journey and how it becomes a butterfly. You can tell it's a caterpillar because of its yellow and black and white stripes. And check out these antennas on both ends. They help it find its way around the milkweed plant. These two features make them unique and easy to identify among other caterpillars. This plant is called the milkweed plant. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed leaves. It's their favorite food and helps them grow big and strong. It provides all the nutrients it needs. Plus milkweed produces a sticky white sap that helps protect the caterpillars from predators. Did you know that milkweed also has beautiful flowers that attracts other insects like bees and butterflies? It is an essential plant for many species. Now that we found this little guy we have to take him inside to care for it. But first I need to get my terrarium. Now I gotta put him and fresh milkweed leaves in the terrarium so he can be safe. By bringing the caterpillar inside we can make sure it's protected and fed. This terrarium is the perfect place for him to grow and transform. We need to remember to add fresh milkweed daily and keep the terrarium clean. This way our caterpillar has everything it needs. We have to take out the old leaves, clean out the droppings, and put new milkweed in. Man look at all the leaf this guy's eating. And now it's time for the fresh leaves. Make sure to put the terrarium in a spot where it has sunlight and air circulation. This helps the caterpillar stay healthy. Okay it's time to check on my little caterpillar. It's only been two days and look how much he's eaten. Look at all these little round balls. This is caterpillar poop. It's called frass. Monarch caterpillars grow really quickly because they eat almost constantly. The caterpillar poop is a sign that our caterpillar is healthy and growing well. Look at how big he is already. In just a few more days our caterpillar will start to form a chrysalis. It's almost ready for the next stage of its journey. I'm out here gathering milkweed to feed my caterpillar. Monarchs have four stages in their life cycle. First they start as eggs on milkweed leaves. Then they hatch into tiny caterpillars. Then they eat a bunch of milkweed to turn into big caterpillars like mine right now. After that they form a chrysalis and finally they emerge as beautiful butterflies. I'm going to take some milkweed back to feed my hungry caterpillar. Hey guys I just woke up this morning and look the caterpillar is hanging off the top of the cage. He's getting ready to form into a chrysalis. This is a really exciting part of his journey. When a caterpillar is ready to form into a chrysalis it hangs upside down in a J shape. In a few hours it sheds its skin and turns into a shiny green chrysalis. The chrysalis will stay like this for about 10 to 14 days and inside an amazing transformation is happening. This is one of God's greatest miracles. It's day number nine and the chrysalis is starting to turn black. That means the butterfly is almost ready to emerge. Imagine the transformation that's taking place in there. If I was that butterfly I'd have claustrophobia. Chrysalises are delicate. It's important to keep them in a quiet and stable environment. Avoid moving the terrarium too much and make sure it's in a place with good airflow. We want to make sure a chrysalis is safe and undisturbed. It's day 10 and our chrysalis is about to hatch. Let's watch as the monarch butterfly emerges. This transformation is one of God's incredible miracles. When the butterfly is ready to emerge the chrysalis will turn transparent. The butterfly will push its way out and be able to expand the wings. It's an amazing transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. Finally our monarch butterfly is ready to be released. I've come to a field full of wildflowers. This is the day we've been waiting for. It's time to release Bo and watch him fly away. Goodbye and good luck on your journey. What an adventure. We found a monarch caterpillar and watched it turn into a butterfly. Remember subscribe, smash that like button and see you on the next adventure. Goodbye Bo. I hope you have a good journey and good luck finding flowers. I think he likes you really.