THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 1996 TAG: 9606080081
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 62 lines
If you spot a colorful butterfly hovering near some flowers at the Chesapeake Municipal Center some pleasant summer morning, thank a group of young girls.
Members of Girl Scout Junior Troop 21 planted a butterfly garden as part of a wildflower garden begun by Girl Scout Junior Troop 390.
The garden was planted along a wooded area in front of the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Building.
Butterfly gardening is the practice of growing selective plants in a garden to attract native butterflies. These specific flowers provide nectar for the adult butterfly and the leaves make a good food source for caterpillars.
Host plants to feed caterpillars include dill, fennel and verbeana. Nectar plants, which provide the butterfly food include asters, sedum and speedwell.
``The girls worked hard on a day that was 97 degrees,''said Toni Landers, the city's municipal grounds keeper. ``They even brought two little sisters to help. The girls were quite interested in learning what types of plants can be grown to attract butterflies.''
Landers said the troop's activity was important to maintain the indigenous butterfly population.
``There is a lack of butterflies now, because of so many pesticides,'' she said. ``This type of garden can really help to increase our butterfly population.''
Those girls who helped on the project were Jennifer Harris, Megan Harris, Rebecca Schneider, Susan Benjaminson, Dana Kirk and Emma Cleveland. The planting party also included adults Rita Klimas and Debbie Snyder along with younger troop helpers Marisa Schnieder and Fallin Snyder. Artistic greening
The sponsoring Chesapeake Environmental Improvement Council recently announced winners in its annual ``Chesapeake . . . Clean and Green'' themes poster contest.
Posters were created to help Chesapeake citizens ``start thinking and stop littering.''
The winning posters were on display at Chesapeake City Hall at the end of May. First place winners received a $50 savings bond, second place received a check for $15 and third place winners got a check for $10.
In the high school category, Indian River High School made it a clean sweep.
First place went to Son Chau, for his clever color rendition of shade trees around a lake area with the tree branches spelling out the contest's theme ``Chesapeake . . . Clean and Green.''
Second place went to Neleh Baracarse for her drawing of a bill poster attaching a poster in the shape of Chesapeake to a wall. Third place went to June Leshnover for her poster showing the shape of Chesapeake with leaves, lily pads, tree trunks and a golfer putting.
The middle school category (grades 7-8) was a sweep for Crestwood Middle School. The award winners were Joey Sawyer, first place; Sheena A. Stutzmen, second place; and Nick Steinlicht, third place.
Winners in grades 4-6 were Courtney Rae Zettel, first place; Sarah Trask, second place; and LaDonna Blount, third place.
Winners in grades 2-3 were Steven Yewcic, first place; Sean Etheridge, second place; and Stafford Craymer, third place.
Winners in kindergarten and grade 1 were Ashlei Warren, first place; Taylor Cross, second place; and Tynisha Shorts, third place. by CNB