Using the coordinates listed, set out on this multi-cache hunt through the Walter A. Tucker Nature Preserve while you learn about the life cycle of a spicebush swallowtail. Each stop will teach you about the life cycle stage and give you the coordinates for the next stage. Many of the caches are hidden throughout a nature preserve which does not allow off-trail so please respect the wildlife around and try to make minimal impacts off-trail.
Like other butterflies, the life cycle of the Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly consists of four distinct stages: egg, caterpillar (larva), pupa (chrysalis), and adult butterfly. This process is known as complete metamorphosis. Spicebush swallowtails use their host plant spicebush, a native shrub throughout the park, as a food source for the caterpillars and as a shelter as you will learn. They begin their life as a small egg on the underside of spicebush leaves before emerging as a small caterpillar that looks like bird droppings. As they grow in their larval stage, they change from green to orange before making a chrysalis to transform into a butterfly. During this multi-cache you will follow the life cycle of a spicebush swallowtail as you find the coordinates to each stop.
Be sure to check out the 20 other caches that are a part of this year’s Metro Parks GeoTrail! To participate in the Metro Parks GeoTrail go to Metro Parks to find complete instructions. Find, log and record the code word from at least 15 caches to be eligible for one of 100 limited edition GeoCoins. Find all 20 caches to unlock the coordinates to the Bonus Puzzle Cache.