Eagle Scout Project Brings Back the Monarchs to TKI Playground

By Karter McNair, September 16, 2020

Background Information

On January 18, 2020 my family and I started the butterfly garden on the infant/toddler playground at Talitha Koum Institute. Due to Covid-19 we had no scout helpers. After many months of planning and fundraising, the project was a go. This conservation project was created to help Talitha Koum’s young children by providing an outdoor sensory area while serving as an environmental project. My garden creates a safe environment for kids to play and to explore nature. This project helps the Monarch butterflies have a safe habitat when migrating to Mexico. Millions of butterflies are killed on Texas highways and this will limit the number of butterflies being killed. This butterfly garden will allow kids to observe its flowers as they attract various species of butterflies especially Monarchs.

Environmental Impact

This garden was created to help the butterflies migrate through central Texas, while having a safe habitat to go to. Texas is an important state in Monarch migration because it is situated between the principle breeding grounds in the north and the overwintering areas in Mexico. Monarchs funnel through Texas both in the fall and the spring. Inventory of current habitat conservation and management activities are being conducted on state lands and will identify existing conservation impacts as well as potential gaps in the state’s response to Monarch decline and the overall native pollinator conservation which this project aids. Using old tires to create pots limits the tires ending up in landfills while also using old paint to prevent its polluting the environment. This garden is sustainable for the environment. The artificial grass requires no mowing, trimming, disposing of lawn waste, pesticides or fertilizers, daily watering schedule and reseeding or damage control. The turf can be extremely cost effective when you add in all the time and money spent in caring for its natural counterpart.

Why this project?

For many years this organization has been important to my family. As a kid, my church volunteered a number of times to do deep cleaning projects inside Talitha Koum. There was always something special about how the teachers interacted with the children. This non-profit organization has made an impact on so many kids by helping them become great citizens in the community. When I saw the condition of the former butterfly garden, I really wanted to help redevelop it. This is why I created a conservation sensory garden for the children at the Talitha Koum Institute.