Third-graders at Emerson Elementary School in Westerville learned about the law when they lobbied the city council on behalf of the butterflies in their garden.
The students were watching monarch butterflies sip the nectar of milkweed plants near their playground, when their teacher was told the plants were illegal. Milkweed, as well as six other plants, is labeled a “noxious weed” under Westerville law, and the school could be forced to remove it. In the rarest cases, a $150 fine could be imposed.
Monarch butterflies live on milkweed exclusively, leading conservationists to advocate in favor of creating milkweed gardens to help save the dwindling butterfly population, which has declined by 90% in the last 20 years. Many school have joined in the effort, including Emerson, so the news the milkweed could be a problem was terrifying for many students.
Instead of giving up, though, they decided to confront the city council. Kate Manteniek and her class combined their studies on butterfly and plant life cycles with their knowledge of persuasive writing and government, and met with the council in late October. In total, 11 of the students spoke in favor of saving the milkweed, and they won. The city council voted 7-0 to change the law to allow the milkweed, and the butterflies, to remain.
Schools like this could benefit by working with a newsletter printing company, which could help develop a newsletter describing the garden for the benefit of other schools.
