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Gold Award Spotlight: Living Classroom
Did you know one in every three bites of food eaten around the world is made possible by animals like bats, birds, bees, and butterflies — also known as pollinators? Worldwide, pollinators are responsible for contributing nearly all of the globe’s flowering plants with the pollen that they need to produce the fruits, vegetables, coffee, nuts, and spices we see in the supermarket. More than 4,000 different bee species buzz all around the United States as they work overtime to pollinate 80 percent of all flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables that end up on our plates.
Unfortunately, bee populations have dropped alarmingly across North America, as have the populations of many other pollinator species. Girl Scout Ambassador Caitlin was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award by taking action to address the decline of pollinator habitats in her community. She contributed over 140 hours of service towards creating an outdoor learning space at Great Bridge Intermediate School named the “Living Classroom,” an outdoor pollinator habitat and educational feature for students to enjoy. The outdoor classroom made by Caitlin was designed to increase students’ exposure to STEM and the outdoors, while they gain understanding of the important role of pollinators in the ecosystem and agriculture.
“Our ecosystem has many threats to pollinators, including the population of butterflies,” Caitlin said. “The decline of butterflies comes from the destruction of natural habitats and the use of chemicals and fertilizers. I addressed the root cause of this issue by creating a safe ecosystem, free of outside threats.”
She enlisted a team of volunteers to help by updating the grounds of an existing courtyard at Great Bridge Intermediate School. Following weeding and mulching, the team planted known butterfly-attracting plants, such as milkweed, to feed the nectar-seeking butterflies. As an additional element of her project, Caitlin hatched native butterfly species from pupae, as part of a life cycle experiment with students at the middle school. Once hatched, she and the students introduced them to a butterfly habitat in the outdoor classroom. After the garden was complete, Caitlin shared learning materials and objectives with teachers and students to help them get the most out of their time in the outdoor classroom.
“The classroom is a place for educators to provide hands-on education and lets students experience the wonders of nature,” Caitlin said. “The living classroom addresses current Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) and provides information about the dangers of pesticides. From the teacher workshop, to the butterfly release, my project spoke to the importance of maintaining pesticide free environments.”
Congratulations, Caitlin!
