Butterflies and bees: Project brings new life to St. Bartholomew outdoor learning lab

St. Bartholomew Catholic School students are developing a pollinator space within the school’s outdoor learning lab to attract monarch butterflies and other species.

Students recently removed weeds and other brush as part of a service project tied to a dedicated pollinator space featuring 18 native Indiana plants that were planted this spring.

Fourth-grade students worked with the local Sierra Club to launch the project to bring bees and butterflies to the area, fourth-grade teacher Kathleen Proffitt said.

The pollinator space is within St. Bartholomew’s outdoor learning lab that opened in 2017. The space includes a greenhouse and a variety of vegetables including cabbage, lettuce, and peppers.

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Students across different grade levels are also learning about butterflies through the project, said Quinike Nusawardhana, outdoor learning lab coordinator.

She often receives help from students at the school, who pitch in with maintaining the outdoor learning lab. “(The outdoor learning lab) teaches them to get their hands dirty,” she said.

Second-grade students will be learning about the butterfly life cycle next semester, Nusawardhana said. The milkweed that has been planted in the pollinator space is important since monarch butterflies depend on the plants to survive, she said.

“As they come back as third-graders, they can actually see the butterflies and see them in the summer months,” Nusawardhana said.

Nusawardhana said monarch butterflies, considered to be an iconic butterfly, are considered to be endangered. The butterflies usually fly south in late August or September.

A glass case with monarch and black swallowtail caterpillars has also been placed across from the school’s main office to allow students from other grade levels to learn about the butterfly life cycle, said Kelly Glick, middle school science teaching assistant.

Fourth-grade student Emerson Chambers also said she comes to the outdoor learning lab every day to see whether eggs can be found on plants in hopes of seeing a caterpillar.

“It’s fun to watch them grow,” Chambers said.

Charity Campbell, who teaches fifth-grade science, said the project ties in with the school’s beliefs about taking care of God’s creations. Students are able to see how different organisms interact with one another, she said.

“It’s our job to take care of this outdoor learning lab and our duty to take care of the environment,” Campbell said.

Fifth-grade student Karen Dutro, who was among the individuals who worked with the Sierra Club to plant native plant species this past spring, said she has enjoyed being able to see monarch butterflies that have been attracted to the site.

“We’re trying to make this as a spot for monarchs to come rest when they’re migrating,” Dutro said.

Dutro often checks the pollinator space during recess in hopes of catching a glimpse of some butterflies. She hopes the garden will continue to grow over time as a way to attract them, she said.

“When I’m in eighth-grade, I’m excited to see what this garden will look like,” Dutro said.

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The outdoor learning lab, which has been at St. Bartholomew Catholic School since last year, includes a greenhouse, in addition to a variety of vegetable plantings including spinach, cabbage, kale and peppers.

A pollinator garden was also developed in the spring by fourth-grade students as part of a joint project with the local Sierra Club that features 18 native plants.

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