After months of research, planning and community outreach, members of Girl Scout Troop 821 planted a native pollinator garden at the Phillips House Museum, completing a Bronze Award project aimed at supporting monarch butterflies and other pollinating species in Rockville Centre.
The project grew out of discussions among the scouts about ways they could make a positive impact on the environment while beautifying the community. Troop Leader Joy Hanson said the idea first emerged during brainstorming sessions several years ago and gained momentum as the girls learned more about the challenges facing monarch butterflies and native pollinators.
“I'm very proud of my daughter and I'm so proud of how the girls really work together as a team to support our united program,” Hanson said of daughter Joya and the rest of the troop. “Because everybody really fits in and did their part.”
As the project developed, the troop sought support from local organizations and searched for a suitable location before partnering with the Phillips House Museum. The scouts also received guidance from monarch butterfly advocate Thomas Hodge, creator of the monarch butterfly garden at Floyd B. Watson Elementary School and studied the role native plants play in sustaining pollinator populations.
“That was serendipitous,” Hanson said. “I thought, ‘This must have been ordained.’ Hodge is a goldmine of information, and he is also a supporter of the same effort to rebuild the monarch butterfly population.”
The garden features butterfly-friendly native species intended to provide food and habitat for monarchs and other beneficial insects.
Planting day on May 23 marked the culmination of the girls’ efforts, with seven troop members spending the morning digging, planting and working together to bring their vision to life. Hanson said the teamwork displayed by the scouts was the most rewarding part of the project.
“We not only want to provide for monarchs, but all native pollinators because that's our food chain,” Hanson said.
