Metamorphosis right before our eyes

Thanks to the new Cadbury at Lewes monarch butterfly garden, we can witness one of nature's most unique life cycles play out. Small green chrysalis are starting to appear all over the building next to the garden as monarch caterpillars go into seclusion for a few weeks before emerging as beautiful monarch butterflies.

The butterflies will feed for a few days and begin a long southern migration in late September and early October to start their four-generation life cycle all over again.

The butterflies will return to the Cadbury garden in April to lay eggs on milkweed plants. The second generation monarchs will emerge in May and June and the third generation will emerge in July and August. In each phase, monarchs only live two to six weeks.

I can't begin to understand how this process works, but I am overwhelmed by the beauty of one of nature's most delicate creatures.