Plains second graders go butterfly hunting

How could a second grader from Plains skip class, get up close and personal with a 6-inch Brazilian Salmon Pink Bird-eating Tarantula, and hold a 3-inch-long millipede? Well, skipping school meant a long bus ride to an exciting, one-of-a-kind destination.  

That destination? The newly built Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, a place teeming with creepy crawlers, colorful butterflies and small button quail birds. 

On this special day, both second-grade classes — accompanied by teachers Cindy Gumm and Jessika Jones and a team of enthusiastic chaperones — traveled to Missoula to visit the Butterfly House. Founded in 2009 and relocated to its new space on Dec. 5, 2023, the Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium has always been committed to educating the youth. Its mission, to highlight “The Little Things That Run The World,” focuses on teaching children from preschool through 8th grade. With over 550 class field trips already hosted, the Butterfly House continues to make learning about nature both engaging and educational. 

The day’s adventure began with Education Coordinator Carolyn Taber leading a fascinating question-and-answer session about the pollinators around us. Taber’s presentation captivated the group, especially when she revealed that even flies and mosquitoes are pollinators. A few "yucks" echoed through the room as students processed this new information.  

After fielding dozens of questions, Taber led the group on a tour of the exhibit space, where students could explore various insects and displays. One of the most popular exhibits was the ant scale which showed how many ants would equal the weight of a child. Plains student Jamerson Ewing learned that it would take a whopping 6,350,260 ants to match his weight. In the exhibit space, the students also had the opportunity to draw their favorite bug and record their observations in their journals. 

Next, the students entered the Butterfly House, a climate-controlled room filled with fluttering butterflies. Many kids excitedly extended their pointer fingers, hoping to attract a butterfly to land on them. Butterflies didn’t seem very interested in taking advantage of their hospitality.

    Plains School second grader Jamerson Ewing and teacher Cindy Gumm at the ant scale at the Missoula Butterfly House. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)
  

    Plains second graders take part in a question-and-answer period with Education Coordinator Carolyn Taber. (Tracy Scott/Valley Press)