At Mountain Avenue Elementary, two Girl Scouts transformed a rocky patch of ground into a certified monarch way station. With its brightly colored ornaments, the garden is a cheerful and inviting space. The new plants in the garden were selected to support the growth of monarch butterflies. Across the nation, community gardens such as this one are helping to slow the decline of monarch butterfly populations.

In addition to serving as a butterfly habitat, the garden also serves as a natural science resource for student learning. For example, kindergarteners studied the life cycle of butterflies and were particularly excited about the new habitat in the school. Curious young students also stopped in the garden to observe. They were making connections between what they learned in the classroom and what they see around them.

The garden is a Girl Scout Silver Project. It was funded, designed and planted by Ashley Sibbrel and Allison Leucht of Troop 1711. During the flag ceremony at Mountain Avenue Elementary in June, the Scouts presented Principal Jaclyn Scott with a book about the new garden. Written by Allison and illustrated by Ashley, the book documents the creation of the garden and explained the life cycle of monarch butterflies. Copies of the book are available in the school library for students to enjoy.