Butterfly Garden at Joe Adair Outdoor Eduction Center, Laurens  

DATE: 4/26/05

CONTACT: Joe Culin, (864) 656-5041

WRITER: Diane Palmer, (864) 656-4741

Butterfly Garden completed in Laurens at the Adair Outdoor EducationCenter

LAURENS – E.B. Morris Elementary second graders, Master Gardeners and Laurens County middle school children celebrated completion of a butterfly garden at the Joe Adair Outdoor Education Center in Laurens on April 21.

The garden will serve as a tool for students in Laurens School District 55 and 56 as well as Thornwell Presbyterian Orphanage. Teachers and students from various colleges will also use the garden as an example for exploring ways of bringing endangered butterflies to an area where they can propagate.

Joe Culin, Clemson University entomology professor, led the children in a lesson on the Monarch butterfly’s metamorphosis and migration, with the help of the Master Gardeners who recently completed the butterfly-shaped garden. It has many plants that attract butterflies as well as stepping stones so the children can walk between the plants.

“Joe Adair donated the property to the Joe Adair Foundation, said Laura Blind, the center’s director. “This private foundation exists to support education in our schools by offering hands on activities in the beautiful outdoors.”

Master Gardeners acquire their skills by taking a course taught by Clemson Extension agents, then donating 40 volunteer hours, such as their work on this garden. Many volunteer their time well beyond the 40-hour requirement.

For more information about the center, contact Laura Blind at (864) 984-5492 or e-mail her at lblind@laurens55.k12.sc.us.

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