In early September, the Monarch Waystation Program declared Bel Air High School’s courtyard a Monarch Waystation. Monarch Waystations are described by the program as “places that provide resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration.”

The Monarch Butterfly is in the family of Nymphalidae, and belongs to a larger sub-group called milkweed butterflies. The Monarch is a beautiful orange insect, with black patches and white dots on the hind wings; a total wingspan of up to 100mm. Bel Air High School’s courtyard plays a key role in the life span of these widely recognized butterflies. After emerging from the pupa and migrating south, the Monarch butterflies’ journey began at BAHS, and ended at their final destination in Mexico.

3 years ago, BAHs teachers Mr. Hedelson and Mr. Serokos planted milkweed in the Bel Air High School courtyard with goals to attract the traveling monarch butterflies. Since then, many students have joined with Mr. Serokos and Mr. Hedelson to create a complete, compatible environment for the Monarch butterflies and their eggs. With the help of the business, art, and environmental classes, Bel Air High School was able to grow a successful greenhouse, create painted butterfly shelters, and create brochures explaining how these shelters work.

This year, environmental classes cleaned up the courtyard, creating an improved sanctuary for the butterflies. On Sept. 11, more Monarchs than the BAHs courtyard has ever seen hatched from their cocoon on the milkweed planted by those hopeful teachers 3 years ago.

Gabby Garcia, a key component in the butterflies’ waystation said, “After 3 years of trying to get more Monarch butterflies to come to our Bel Air courtyard, we’ve been successful in having many Monarchs hatch this fall. It was a beautiful sight.”

The Monarch butterfly habitat’s success proved the huge impact of service learning in high school students, even earning them an award from the Governor.

Mr. Hedelson described the Monarchs as “amazing,” pointing out that “…the only way the Monarch butterflies found the habitat was by flying 50 ft. over the Bel Air High School, and it’s fascinating that they could detect the milkweed from so far away.”

The Bel Air High School community is hopeful for future years that the monarch project is as successful as it was this year. For more information about the monarchs and how many other schools have been declared a waystation, visit http://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/ .