St. Mary's Elementary School
Butterfly Garden

St. Mary’s Elementary School Butterfly Garden project was a successful involvement of grade six and kindergarten students to create an appealing, environmentally sound environment.  This area in our school had been neglected but had great potential since it was located in a secluded spot next to an established garden area.

With the help of students, faculty and parents we were able to transform this 520 square feet of land into a beautiful home for plants and butterflies.  The planning process was done by the sixth grade students including cost proposals, scale drawings of the garden and research on the type of plants needed to attract butterflies.  The teachers organized this process.

With this entire process in place, the hard work was done.  Now the fun began.

Parent volunteers did soil preparation.  The students in both grades did the planting.  This process took two days to complete.  In culmination, we had a butterfly celebration prepared by the sixth grade students.

The impact on our school community has been dramatic. The sixth grade had the extraordinary opportunity to learn different skills, including business planning, landscape design, and environmental effects. They learned, too, the pride of completing a project that benefits the entire school and parish community.

Pride in the Butterfly Garden extends throughout the school. Several classes release butterflies in the garden each year. One third grader was delighted: “We finally have a home for the butterflies we raise in our classroom – isn’t that cool!”" A kindergartener even brought in a small butterfly found at home and released it in the garden "so it would have friends."

The students and faculty love to go to the garden for study, reflection, and play. The garden includes tables and seats nearby, so teachers are able to bring their classes outside to study the many varieties of butterflies that visit and to conduct outdoor workshops. The high school students enjoy the vista of the butterfly garden from the high school library study area, and the high school music classes play their guitars there. Faculty and staff use the garden for meetings and lunch in a quiet area.

The St. Mary's School Butterfly Garden is a lasting and lovely sacred space for the entire community, and we are most grateful that TKF gave us the opportunity to establish this area.