By: Phyllis Giffard
John Dupuis and St. Thomas More Catholic High School celebrate
their gold-certified habitat in southwest Louisiana.
The garden, on the rear edge of the property, is dominated by urban soils. Some areas feature raised beds, such as the original pollinator garden, which John’s ecology students planted in Spring 2018. Milkweed plants have hosted monarch eggs and larvae, which the students enjoyed observing. Many monarchs have begun their migration north from this school garden.
The class of 2021 built another raised bed native garden, which includes coneflowers, mountain mints, Mamou bean, rattlesnake master, black-eyed Susans, and others. Students have been able to witness the “change over time” from the first pollinator bed full of natives to a new wetland area, which seems to attract a whole new set of pollinators. Fall of 2022 will bring expansions in all of these beautiful beds.
From the August 2022 ANPP Newsletter