Hi everyone! We’re the Sustainable Squad. Our names are Tatiana Hamilton, Brianna McMonagle, Jacob Donahue, and Brandon Mustapher. Tatiana is Junior and is majoring in Communication Arts and Science. Brianna is Sophomore and a Health Policy Major. Jacob is a Sophomore as well and a Business Marketing and Management major. Brandon is a Freshman and he is majoring in Broadcast Journalism.
Our service project included painting logs with numbers, shapes, butterflies, and other nature designs for the children’s play area at Rock Hollow Woods. These logs will encourage the children to develop a love for the outdoors and nature. We also participated in trail maintenance and glass removal at the center. Rock Hollow Woods was once known as Jean’s Place in 2003, and now has expanded into the nonprofit organization RHW starting in 2012. Their mission is to provide children with outside opportunities to discover and learn about the natural world and empower them to protect their environment. We worked with the Executive Director, Michelle Zeitz, and Jean McCarney, the Cofounder at Rock Hollow Woods.
Our research consisted of the decrease in Butterfly population decline. We discovered that around 450 butterfly species have declined at an average rate of 1.6% to 2% per year. The main danger to the butterfly population is climate change as the Autumns becomes warmer. Pesticides are also a big factor in the decline. We can all take a stand against this issue by planting more flowers, avoiding pesticides, and contributing to citizen science websites.
Our group enjoyed this research and service project since we were able to learn and complete projects outside of the classroom. We had an amazing opportunity to work with Rock Hollow Woods to create learning tools that many children will use for years to come. As we researched butterfly population decline, we have become more aware of the problem and ways to encourage people to mitigate the issue.
Brochure link for easier reading:Butterfly brochure