May 28, 2026 (Smiths Falls, ON) – A series of informative, brightly coloured storyboards now sit along the trail of a Montague Township park, all thanks to the curiosity, hard work, and creativity of the Grade 2/3 students at Montague Public School.
What began as a learning activity on butterflies during the 2024-25 school year has blossomed into a partnership between the school and the township, and on May 26 students met with representatives from the township to walk the trail at 22-Acre Park and install the printed boards.
The boards tell the story of Hudson, a monarch butterfly, as he navigates his lifecycle journey through various stages and geographic regions. Students began learning about butterflies last year and soon became interested in the biological processes they go through and how environmental changes can affect their lives. They read books on the winged insects and visited the Museum of Nature in Ottawa to learn even more.
Student Maizy Morin offered a brief synopsis of Hudson’s journey. “The life cycle has eggs, crystals, butterflies, and when they get to Mexico the butterflies die, then the life cycle starts all over again.”
The project began when a new township park was being developed next to the school. Teacher Sarrahlynn Martin and her students saw an opportunity to connect the school and the park and thought that expanding their classroom butterfly study into a story walk that community members could enjoy may be a good fit. Students did further research and welcomed local library staff to their classroom to discuss how story walks have been implemented in other communities. They also consulted with Montague Township staff to ensure feasibility. Now, after countless hours of research, planning, writing, and illustrating, the pages of “Hudson’s Amazing Life Cycle” are installed at the park and ready for students, their families, and community members to discover.
“I'm very, very proud of this group of Grade 2/3s,” said Martin. “Watching them grow from last year when they started this process all the way up to this point is amazing. They're so excited to see these boards installed.”
“I think it's really cool that we've been able to partner with the next generation and that it’s something that's really meaningful to them,” said Montague Township Administrative Assistant Grace Francis. “This park space is for everyone, but it's extra special to be able to partner with the school.”
Montague Public School was the first school in Ontario to be certified as a Blue Community School by the national environmental advocacy organization, The Council of Canadians, and as Martin looks to the upcoming school year, she hopes to develop more stories with her students focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“Going forward we want to create another story, perhaps one based on our school becoming a Blue Community School,” said Martin. “We hope to keep partnering with the Township and our communities to help show everyone what our impact is going to be as we move forward into the future.”