The Catskill Chronicle

PINE BUSH – The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Town of Wallkill, Pine Bush & Sullivan County are ecstatic to announce that their Torch Club at Crispell Middle School has been named one of five national finalists for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s “Be Great, BE GREEN!” contest, through the Staples Foundation for Learning.

The “Be Great, BE GREEN!” Contest asked Boys & Girls Clubs Torch Clubs, the service organization run by the club’s middle school students, to take on an environmentally-friendly service project as their Torch Clubs’ service project for the year.

The Club’s Pangea Torch Club learned about the importance of butterflies in our ecosystem and the decline of their natural habits through human activities, such as building homes and roads.

After researching the environmental dangers that result from an endangered butterfly population, the members dedicated their BE GREAT, BE GREEN project to building their own butterfly garden. They volunteered at a local farm and butterfly housing business to learn how to build the garden. They worked alongside local farmers to learn about the pollinating value of butterflies as well as the types of plants and conditions necessary for the garden. Then they hit the streets to request plant, flower, mulch and top soil donations from local plant houses and nurseries to execute their project .

Club members planted flowers, repaired and repainted a park bench and painted rocks with inspiring messages, to make what had been a vacant space into a beautiful garden. Club members tracked butterfly sightings within the garden, and when the garden comes to life again this spring, club members will once again track sightings and record data.

This project is up for the $2500 national prize, and supporters can help by going to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J9QWNKJ. There is no limit on how many times a supporter can vote, so please vote early and vote often!