Commentary by Brad Thompson
Conservation is one of the cornerstones of being a Scout. So, it was only natural that Scout Jared Walter Dennemann of Troop 804 (sponsored by the Boys & Girls Club of Boone County) would look for a way to preserve nature as his Eagle project. And, as it turned out, he needed look no further than the place the troop meets: Pleasant View Elementary.
A senior at Zionsville Community High School, Dennemann’s project was to create a monarch butterfly waystation next to the school building. A monarch butterfly waystation is essentially a garden that contains certain plants and flowers that attract monarchs and provides habitat to breed and survive during migration.
Building a waystation helps butterflies and helps students learn about monarchs. The waystation serves as an outdoor classroom to study insects, animals and plants and to assist in conservation. Dennemann’s research revealed that there are four key elements to a waystation: nectar plants, milkweeds, shelter plants and water supply. Throughout the fall, he will add all four elements to the waystation.
Materials for the station were donated by Dennemann’s family, and other support came from the Pleasant View Elementary PTO.
