Metamorphosis: Putnam City students' Earth Day contribution

On Tuesday, elementary students from across Putnam City Schools will witness the first flight of butterflies they nurtured from caterpillars.

Tuesday, April 22nd 2025, 6:19 am

By: Beau Smith, Colby Thelen

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Elementary students at Putnam City Schools will release butterflies in time for Earth Day.

Students across the district raised caterpillars for weeks, watching them transform into butterflies.

Putnam City Schools Director of Communications Aj Graffeo said the students have waited a long time for this day to arrive.

"These young butterfly stewards will experience the joy of letting their winged friends take flight for the very first time amongst the foliage cultivated by the high school students," Graffeo said.

The students will release the butterflies in the PCN Outdoor Classroom, an acre of land on campus dedicated to innovative learning.

Twice a year, Monarch Butterflies migrate through Oklahoma to winter in Mexico and return to Canada.

Over the last 30 years the critical pollinator's population has significantly decreased.

The butterfly release is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

Colby Thelen

Colby Thelen joined the News 9 team in 2020, and he co-anchors News 9 This Morning on weekdays. He has a passion for storytelling and is especially drawn to stories that highlight conservation and culture. Some of Colby’s favorite projects have been traveling to Africa and Mexico with the Oklahoma City Zoo, highlighting their different conservation efforts.