In early October, 2018, over 100 4th-grade students at Glen Arden Elementary in Arden, North Carolina, packed seeds for the Butterfly Highway, Mountain WILD! and the North Carolina Wildlife Federation.
Mountain WILD! then distributed the seeds to Asheville residents at two events ~ a Blue Sky concert at the Salvage Station and at Oktoberfest.
Lee Ann Smith, a member of Mountain WILD!’s leadership team and librarian at Glen Arden Elementary, coordinated the student seed packing. She had recently arranged with Asheville GreenWorks for
an expert in butterfly migration from Mexico to come speak to the students. Estela Romero lives in Angangueo, Mexico, close to the Monarch butterfly overwintering sanctuaries. Estela serves as the local news reporter for Journey North and coordinates the Symbolic Migration program. 
Lee Ann said: “So, this hands-on seed-packing event was a fantastic way for these students to continue their study of the Monarch migration patterns and to take an active role in helping The Butterfly Highway. Thank you for this opportunity!” She added: “Here’s a great resource that I shared with the students during our seed-packing event:” Monarch Butterfly Migration: Google Earth Tour
Mountain WILD! says “thank you” to Lee Ann Smith, the 4th-grade students, teachers and principal at Glen Arden Elementary. We’ll be watching for butterflies in Asheville next summer!
