As I am researching about butterflies for a Children's counting book project I am hoping to complete next year, I found some amazing facts I would like to share with you!

Have you ever seen the actual process of the a caterpillar turning into a butterfly? Most kids know the process. However, I had not heard the process explained until I watched this little video - that tells what scientists now know is going on in the process ( and some is still a mystery to them!)

Its a busy time for the little caterpillar, chomping away though leaves and getting fat (some of them shed their skin a few times in this process, as they get too big for their skin!) Once it has made it's chrysalis, what happens inside is nothing short of amazing. A process starts where enzymes start to work to break down the body of the caterpillar, turning it to goo (except, the breathing organ) . So, cells have to die, there has to be a deconstructing - then other cells kick in and start reforming the goo into bones and skin and limbs of the butterfly. This all happens over about 10 -15 days!
It originally sounds like a simple process, we can get quite blasé about it! Yeah, I know; caterpillar, pupa, and then voila - Butterfly! But think about it, it has to change all along the way, it has to shed skin, it has to weave a chrysalis, (some make a little silk hammock!) It has to be firmly attached for it to hang from. It has to be enveloped and hidden and be still for a while. All this time “stuff” is going on..Things are being made and constructed. From what looks like a gooey mess, out comes a butterfly - this can never be seen as ordinary. Each part of the process of change is incredible and necessary.
I love that all this goes on without the help of humans ( apart from supplying them with nectar for the butterfly and leaves for the caterpillars). The complexity is amazing. It does make me more conscious now to supply the right kind of plants and flowers for these little creatures!
Butterflies smell with their feet.
Some migrate thousands of miles.
They always lay their eggs on the same type of plant.
Experiments show that Butterflies can remember things when they were caterpillars.
Here are a few videos about butterflies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euuCrnqEoeU Process of a caterpillar to a butterfly explained. by Thoughty2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovOPoSbITk4 30 facts about Butterflies
I love how these things in nature just get on with growing. I love seeing new birds come to our garden feeding post. I love seeing flowers growing, cultivated and wild... and seeing the cycles of nature keep on rhythmically keeping on..
Learning something new... Now summer is over, many of the flowers in our gardens are going to seed. This is a great time to harvest your own seeds for next year! Here is a video about how to save your seeds. This is something I will be doing - saving my Pink and White Cosmos seeds.

Did I mention I love Autumn??
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