High school students in the Innovation Program at Boca Raton’s Grandview Preparatory School are doing everything possible to ensure that their 2015 “passion project” is more than just a wing and a prayer. To that end, students have been busy designing and constructing a special greenhouse that will house and rehabilitate several local butterfly species currently on the endangered list.
Among the species, all native to Florida, that will find a new home: the Atala hairstreak butterfly (pictured), some newly endangered monarch butterflies and a number of Heliconian butterflies. Host plants specific to each species will be included in the greenhouse.
Students already have inspired the Grandview family, but they hope to continue raising awareness throughout the Boca community. A GoFundMe campaign, which sought to raise money for the materials needed to build the greenhouse, drew more than $6,000 in less than six days. As part of the campaign, students wrote, recorded and produced a video about the greenhouse.
Students have spent time on weekends and after school setting the foundation for the structure. Jeffrey Adkins, from Adkins Orchids Inc., has helped to guide students during the process, teaching them a variety of skills along the way: clearing and leveling land, wielding an ax and a sledge hammer, framing a building and pouring cement.
It’s good to know Boca kids aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty for a worthy cause.
Disclosure: Grandview Preparatory School is a sponsor of my personal business, ModernBocaMom.com. All opinions expressed in this blog post are my own and not influenced in any way by the sponsor.
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About Michelle
Michelle Olson-Rogers, a native to Boca, is the founder of ModernBocaMom.com, a lifestyle website for the stylish & modern South Florida Mommy. Modern Boca Mom features events for both mom and kids, activities, classes, fitness, dining and shopping options as well as a weekly Mompreneur spotlight! A Mompreneur herself, Michelle truly believes that working moms (and dads!) instill an unparalleled work ethic in their kids. She and her husband Andrew have one daughter, Avery.
