Cocoons, Parents and a little bit of Magic

One of our children came to preschool with a huge cocoon she had found in her garden. The cocoon had just been spun, it looked and felt quite delicate and fragile, although one can be sure nature will haven taken good care of it. The description of the caterpillar pointed us in the direction of the Emperor Gum Moth.

A little bit of research revealed that the caterpillars of the Emperor Gum Moth prefer to eat the younger leaves of the Eucalyptus tree. They are usually around between October and March, our Spring and Summer months. The caterpillar stage usually lasts for many weeks, during which they change colours. The caterpillars are covered in bumps with spines and long hairs. When the caterpillar is fully mature it spins a dark brown silken cocoon which is usually attached to the foodplant. The moth usually emerges form the cocoon the following year, in Spring or early Summer, but can stay in the cocoon between one and five years. The adult Emperor Gum Moth, a large, hairy moth, only lives for a couple of weeks, during which they mate and lay eggs. The eggs are oval and are laid in rows on their sides, often along leaf margins.

We all marveled at the cocoon, wondering how a caterpillar can change in the time frame of a few hours into this amazing cocoon. Very soon afterward, the parent of the child who brought the cocoon returned to our preschool, this time with more cocoons, and a leaf with eggs attached to it. The cocoons were old and empty, a beautiful specimen for the children to feel and touch. We were all mesmerised with this miracle of nature. While the children passed the old cocoons around, I listened to the parent who had done some research on the internet and was sharing her new found knowledge. I don't know what was more exciting, the beautiful cocoon and intrigue lifecycle of the moth or the enthusiastic parent who had driven all the way back to preschool to share a moment of nature's wonder with us.

Sharing nature doesn't only connect us with the children, it also connects us with their parents. It is absolutely fabulous to see parents joining in our quest to reconnect young children with nature. The best way to get a child to care about the earth is to not only teach about it, but for the children to share the wonders of the earth with a caring adult. Bethe Almeras (the Grass Stain Guru) writes a blog about childhood, play, nature and children. In one of her recent posts she writes how "In fact, it really has to start with the grown-ups for anything to change." This is so true. Bethe writes some very inspiring posts about education, outdoor play and reconnecting young children with nature. You can read her blog here.

In the meantime, there is a miracle taking place, we can only wait. Next Spring we may find a beautiful Emperor Gum Moth emerging from the cocoon. While we wait, we will continue to take our children outside and enjoy our outdoor time, each day. With more and more parents at our preschool joining in, nature really is magical.

Did you know? The adult Emperor moths have no mouth. They never eat and are usually found resting among fallen leaves at the base of trees. They fly both day and night. To spin a cocoon takes them about 10 hours. Source: Which New Zealand Insect, by Andrew Crowe