Come to the 1st Grade Butterfly Milkweed Seed Sale!

For the past several weeks, 1st graders have been learning about urban gardens and greenspaces. They talked about the importance of cities and urban spaces having nature gardens in parks and open spaces but also on rooftops and buildings and even on old railway tracks like the 606 Trail. Students learned why native plants are important to people, animals and insects and that all living creatures are connected in our ecosystem. First graders especially focused on the importance of pollinators, like monarch butterflies, in food systems.

Students learned about the migration path of monarch butterflies and that butterfly milkweed is essential to their survival. Chicago is one of the cities on the monarch butterflies’ migration path and a location where they are losing their habitat. Monarch butterflies are also on the United Nations Climate Change Threat list as a species that is at risk for extinction. The Field Museum and the Chicago Park District are encouraging Chicagoans to plant butterfly milkweed to help save the species and their habitat.

First graders wanted to help the butterfly, animal and human community by starting a butterfly milkweed seed business to encourage the Parker community to plant more butterfly milkweed. Please consider purchasing a packet of seeds form the 1st grade.

Each packet costs $1. Seventy-five cents from each purchase will be donated to the Peace House in Englewood to support their community fruit and vegetable garden.

First graders will be selling the seed packets on Tuesday May 21 from 10:50 to 11:20 a.m. and from 1 to 2:10 p.m. in the Front Alcove. You can also stop by the Kovler Family Library throughout the week.

Here is a commercial 1st graders created to spread the word about the seed sale!