Local students get caterpillar delivery

As part of Home Hospice’s annual Butterfly Release and Family Celebration, caterpillars were recently delivered to Sam Houston Elementary School.

Students from Odessa, Midland and Big Spring will be growing butterflies as a special project for Earth Day, tying into the 13th annual celebration. The collaboration will allow children to share their discoveries about the butterflies with families during the memorial.

Sam Houston kindergarten teacher Celestina “Tina” Almodova said she and her students have been raising the caterpillars since the release started. This year’s is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 28 at the Globe Theatre, 2308 Shakespeare Road, on the Odessa College campus.

Almodova said about 86 of her students will be raising approximately 130 caterpillars as they make their transformation to butterflies.

Home Hospice Volunteer Coordinator Karen Carter said she also delivered caterpillars to Burnet Elementary School on Friday.

“The benefits are just being able to able to watch the process and release it into the environment,” Almodova said.

Later on in the year, the students may see a butterfly and think it’s theirs. It’s also a way for children to understand life and death.

“They don’t forget the process. I’ve had older kids come back and tell me, ‘I’ll never forget it,’” Almodova said.

Traditionally, butterflies have been recognized as a symbol of hope, new life and resurrection, a news release said.

Names will be read during a memorial service and butterflies will be released as a way to say “thank you” for the way their lives brightened others.

There will be live musical entertainment and refreshments.

Live butterflies will be handed out to participants at no cost. Hundreds of Permian Basin families participated in the memorials last year and continue to talk about the impact.