Afterschool at Morikami Park Elementary School

Our project goal for Earth Force was to provide our students with the information and resources to identify environmental issues in their community, propose solutions to those problems, and work together to decide and work on one of the solutions. For our particular group, we decided to renovate a nearby run-down plot of land and turn it into a native butterfly garden. After further research, we decided to expand the garden’s purpose to other fauna, including hummingbirds with firecracker plants and other types of birds with a bird bath.

We began by introducing a broad range of environmental issues to our students. They were able to apply this knowledge to their school in order to both identify and address a problem - renovating lost habitat. At the conclusion of our project, we were able to complete the garden. The garden promoted various forms of wildlife, providing shelter, food, and water for animals such as butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs, and birds. We planted over fifteen begonias, fifteen pentas, ten milkweed plants, two lantanas, one fire bush, one firecracker, a multiflora passion vine, two cat palms, and several liriope, and gold mound. With proper watering techniques, which were vital upon first planting, the garden has thrived and began to fill in significantly. Within the past few weeks we have already spotted multiple monarch caterpillars as well as multiple monarch butterflies. In addition to butterflies, we have spotted several ladybugs.