Students Answer Monarch Butterfly Challenge Question #3:

"How does the pine forest serve as an umbrella and a blanket for the monarchs?"

From: PENNSYLVANIA
We feel that the pine forest serves as an umbrella and a blanket for the monarchs because it protects them from rain, snow, and any severe weather. The pine forest also keeps them warm during their period of hibernation and shelters them from danger.
Donna Wimmer
87 West Park Ave.
Sellersville, PA 18960
dwimmer@mciunix.mciu.k12.pa.us

From: KWAJALEIN
They use pine trees as a blanket of insulation. It traps the heat like a greenhouse effect. They use it as an umbrella for shelter from weather. Cindy Chester
G. Seitz Elementary
Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
George Seitz Elementary School (gses@tcsn.net)

From: NEW YORK
It serves as a blanket because if it gets cold the pine trees trap in heat and it serves as a umbrella because if the rain comes through it slows the rain to a stop.
Braxton Medlin (bmedlin@gateway.drew.buffalo.k12.ny.us)

From: OREGON
Hi Journey North,
We are the First Grade Class at St. John the Baptist School in Milwaukie, Oregon. We think the top of the pine trees serve as an umbrella to protect the monarchs from the weather. We think the evergreen pine needles serve as a blanket to keep the monarchs warm. Your Friends,
Mrs. Kennedy's First Grade Class
Ellen Kennedy (ekennedy@teleport.com)

From: ONTARIO
The Pine tree serves as an umbrella because it keeps rain from pouring down on the butterflies and soaking their wings. It serves as a blanket because it keeps the warmth in at night. If they cut the trees down, they put a hole in the blanket and the monarchs will freeze to death. Lee Taylor and Shannon Mitchell, gr. 5
Bobcaygeon Public School Bobcaygeon, Ontario
kevin adams (bob1@knet.flemingc.on.ca)

From: GEORGIA
The needles of the pine trees protect the monarchs from cold weather and protect them from rain and other bad weather.
hambrick elementary school (hambrick@mindspring.com)

From: MINNESOTA
Here is a list of answers for challenge question #3 from Mrs. Buisman's third grade class in Minnetonka, Minnesota:
-They huddle up in pine trees for a blanket. Under the pine needles for an umbrella.
-The pine needles are a blanket and umbrella because the pine needles stick out far.
-The leaves act as an umbrella and a blanket.
-The pines on the tree are slanted, so the water doesn't fall on them, so the pines are the umbrella. The blanket is the branches because they can cuddle around it, so that is the blanket.
-It protects the monarchs and keeps them warm at night.
-The water runs down the bark, so it doesn't just pound down on the forest.
The moss on the tree serves as the blanket and for the tree.
-The warmth of the trees.
-The pine needles cover them like a blanket and the pine needles hold the rain when it rains.
-The pine needles cover them and they can lay on the needles. blanket.
-The batch of blanket pine needles that are on the side of the tree keep them warm. Umbrella
-The groups of pine needles shade them from the rain.
Buisman, Keri (kbuisman@dh.minnetonka.k12.mn.us)

From: MINNESOTA
Our second grade class at Birch Lake Elementary in White Bear Lake, MN beleive the Pine Forrest protects the monarchs by keeping them dry. It also helps them stay safe and warm. The forrest is a great place for them to stay.
Jon P. Mares (jpmare@wbl.whitebear.k12.mn.us)

From: ILLINOIS
These are the answers my second graders gave me. The pine forest keeps the monarchs warm like a blanket keeps us warm. They keep them dry. It guards them from ice and rain. The trees curve down with the sagging weight of the monarchs like a blanket keeping the monarchs safe and warm. Lavonne Probst and her second grade class. Reporting from Southern Illinois.
Grove@mmtcnet.com

From NEBRASKA:
"We think that when the days get warmer and longer the butterflies will feel like mating. Once they have mated they will want to come back north to lay eggs. Then they die after they've laid their eggs. Then the cycle begins all over again. Next year they will be migrating back to Mexico. The weather is getting warmer and the sun is out longer, so the days are longer. The flowers start blooming. The monarchs have instincts to leave Mexico and start flying north. The females are mating, then are looking for milkweed. Since they can't fly in cold weather, they must wait until the weather is warmer. They left in the fall because northern winters are too cold."
Mrs. Siefert's 4th/5th grade class
Mrs. Thornton's science class
Fredstrom Elementary School
Lincoln, NE (someone@lps.esu18.k12.ne.us)