MAST@FIU students plant the seeds to the future of state park butterfly garden

MAST@FIU students gathered at the greenhouse at Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC) Dec. 6 to plant a variety of seedlings native to Florida, including firebush, scorpion tail and corky stem passion flower.

MAST@FIU students plant firebush, scorpion tail and corky stem passion flower seedlings at the BBC greenhouse. Once they reach adult size, the plants will be transported to Oleta River State Park’s new butterfly garden.

The environmental immersion experience was part of a larger project involving FIU students in the College of Architecture + the Arts (CARTA) and the University of Florida’s 4-H Youth Development program to create a butterfly garden installation at Oleta River State Park – the busiest urban state park in Florida. The high school students also met with UF and park officials to learn about native plant species, invasive plant species, monarch butterflies, and the role the state park.

“We wanted to find a way to incorporate our MAST@FIU high school students into the project as well,” said Nick Ogle, environmental coordinator for the School of Environment, Arts and Society.  “The idea was to have them research and understand the complex system of host and nectar plants required for the success of many butterfly species, many of which are in decline, and then grow the appropriate plants here on campus and eventually planted at the garden installation in Oleta.”

There are four stages in the life-cycle of a butterfly: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most butterflies require a host and nectar plant to successfully complete its life-cycle. Butterflies lay their eggs on a host plant. After the egg hatches, the larvae eat the plant’s leaves. Once the adult butterfly emerges from the pupal case, it relies on the plant’s nectar for energy. The seedlings planted by the students at the BBC greenhouse will provide the home and nutrition the butterflies need to thrive into adulthood. Once the seedlings have grown to adult size, they will be transported to nearby Oleta River State Park. In the meantime, the high school students will tend to the seedlings on a weekly basis by watering them, feeding them and tracking their growth.

“I really enjoyed planting the different seedlings, it was very hands-on and better than being talked to. It was cool to get to do something ourselves,” said Skyler Odin, a freshman at MAST@FIU who aspires to become a pediatrician or dermatologist. “I also enjoyed meeting the park ranger and learning about the different types of plants these butterflies depend on. We learned how important these pollinators are to our food systems and how we need to keep them safe, because, once a link is taken out of the chain, it breaks.”

Butterflies, along with bees, moths, hoverflies, wasps, beetles, bats and hummingbirds, are some of the world’s most important pollinators. Pollinators like these are disappearing globally at an alarming rate as a result of a number of factors, including the use of pesticides and natural diseases. Because they provide a key ecosystem service vital to the maintenance of both wild and agricultural plant communities, the decline of pollinating insects threatens ecosystem function as well as food security.

“One of the most important factors of this project is to empower people in the community to make a difference on their own,” Ogle said. “This is something that any family can do by planting a garden at home and making a real difference for butterfly conservation.”

The butterfly garden installation at Oleta River State Park will be made up of “woodcrete” walls, planters, benches and walkable pavers. “Woodcrete,” formally known as wood aggregate concrete, is mixed material made from concrete and melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia), an invasive tree that threatens the Everglades ecosystem. The material is porous and allows for the easier drainage of rainwater.

Led by architecture professors Robert Rovira and Nick Gelpi, and supported by industry sponsors, CARTA students researched and invented applications and designs for the aggregate concrete. The garden will serve as a sanctuary for butterflies, attraction for park visitors and as an outdoor classroom for local schools.