Sept. 17, 2019
FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Concordia Lutheran High School students and teachers have worked hard fundraising and creating awareness for a new monarch butterfly sanctuary, and are now seeing the fruits of their labor.
“It is our hope that Fort Wayne and CLHS will be great examples for others in leadership in the area of monarch preservation,” said Paula Booth, Concordia Spanish teacher who is leading the project, along with Environmental Science Teacher Laura Bohnke.
This week, Spanish and environmental science students, teachers and volunteers will begin planting plugs in Our Creator’s Classroom, Concordia’s outdoor classroom, located next to the high school building, for the start of the sanctuary.
“Once the plants start growing then the butterflies will find them,” Booth said, giving special credit to Sean Nolan from Sanctuary Native Landscapes for volunteering his time.
The sanctuary is being paid for through fundraising efforts such as “sponsor a plant” donations from fellow students and donation from Monarchwatch.org in the form of plants. The team also won a SOUP grant in the amount of $1,186, and will be receiving a percentage of tickets sold for “Ay Mariposa,” which is being shown at the Cinema Center starting Sept. 26. The team is also creating awareness for the project by participating in the Monarch Ultra, a race that traces the migratory path of the monarch from Canada to Central Mexico, which will pass through Fort Wayne this month.
The team hopes to unveil their sanctuary later this month.
Concordia Lutheran High School, located at 1601 St. Joe River Drive in Fort Wayne, Ind., was founded in 1935 as a private, co-educational Lutheran high school open to students of all faiths and backgrounds. With Christ at the center, Concordia continues to pursue educational excellence that equips individuals for lifelong learning and service as disciples of Jesus Christ. Learn more at www.clhscadets.com.