A group of UA Little Rock nursing students helped release about 30 monarch butterflies during a surprise classroom activity designed to inspire and educate the future nurses.
DeeDee Moline, assistant professor of nursing at UA Little Rock, has been raising monarch butterflies at her home in Greenbrier. She brought the butterflies to her Nursing Fundamentals II class on July 31 as a way to connect with her students and share a deeper lesson about growth and transformation.
“Nursing school is hard,” Moline said. “I tell my students that like these butterflies, they haven’t flown yet. They’re still in the chrysalis. But look how beautiful you will be when you emerge. When you become nurses, you’ll be carrying people’s hopes and prayers on your backs.”
Moline has been raising monarchs for the past four years after learning they were added to the endangered species list. She grows milkweed, the monarch caterpillars’ only food source, in her garden and she participates in MonarchWatch.org to help track the butterflies' migratory patterns.
“I introduced myself to students by telling them I keep bees and raise monarchs,” she said. “They got excited when I brought caterpillars to class one day. Several students have since asked if they had turned into butterflies yet. So, I decided to surprise them by bringing in fully formed butterflies for them to release.”
The moment left a strong impression on the students, many of whom saw it as a reflection of their own nursing journey.
“I enjoyed getting to participate in the release of the monarchs,” said Madison Henderson, a nursing student from Sherwood. “It makes me reflect on how we are as nursing students. One day, we will spread our wings and fly.”
Pictured here, UA Little Rock nursing student Louise Hobby releases a monarch butterfly while her classmate, Jennifer Camacho, records the interaction. Photo by Ben Krain.