Centennial Park in North Battleford was filled with the sight of newly-freed butterflies on Friday morning.
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students from four area schools were at the natural spaces park as a part of a project spearheaded by Battlefords Early Childhood Intervention Program.
According to Colleen Sabraw, executive director of BECIP, the organization worked together with the two school divisions on a project where the kids learn how caterpillars turn into butterflies. The students were from St. Mary, St. Vital, Notre Dame and McKitrick schools.
BECIP delivered the tiny caterpillars to the schools, and over a month’s time the students tracked the caterpillars as their chrysalides opened into butterflies. The caterpillars were placed in tents and fed a steady diet of watermelon, oranges and marigold during their transformation.
Friday was the day when the butterflies were brought to Centennial Park by the students to be released. The tents were opened and the kids were enthusiastic to see the butterflies released into the park.
As expected, the butterflies reacted well to their newfound freedom, though it should also be noted that the students also had to coax quite a few butterflies to leave their friendly surroundings in the tents for their new home.
