Students visited the Pollinator Park on North Broadway. Volunteers Deb Steinberg and Joe Gartner led the children on an exploration on the importance of pollinators.

Steinberg led the children in the creation of milkweed seed bombs. Students took turns rolling milkweed seeds into balls of dirt and clay. After the kids finished their milkweed seed bombs, they were instructed to throw into the park. Over time the rain and elements will break down the seed bombs. The milkweed will germinate and create food for monarch butterflies.

After the project, kids learned about the lifecycle of the monarch butterfly, featuring a real caterpillar and monarch butterfly. At the end of the class, they released the monarch butterfly into the park.

Students also took a tour of the pollinator park. This includes a scavenger hunt to find and identify all the flowers and bugs on their list.

Kindergarten Kickstart students August Helget, Hudson Schneider and Dessa Forst examine the flowers during a scavenger hunt at the N. Broadway Pollinator Park.

Flowers were easy to cross off their lists. Preschoolers found a flower to match each color. Gartner suggested adding other flowers to the list to create more challenge.

In addition to the monarchs, the students spotted several types of beatles, bees and other butterfly species. Several excited kids reported spotting dragonflies.

Steinberg said it was always a good thing to get kids outdoors and learn about nature.

Gartner said the hope is the kids will take what they learned today and tell their parents about pollinators.

“It is so simple,” Gartner said. “I hope they return.”

Many native plants are already in bloom, but Gartner said it will actually get more impressive within three weeks.

The New Ulm Pollinator Park includes gardens, woodland and prairie used for pollinators. The New Ulm bicycle trail is nearby. Three walking trails begin in the park.