About 30 middle schoolers — pulled by teachers from their comfort zone in the classrooms of Skyuka Hall (formerly Scenic Land School) last week — forgot their fears of bugs and dirt and outdoor work.
Pubescent concerns about appearance and acceptance also disappeared as, one after another, the youngsters became completely immersed in pulling rich dark loam over the roots of purple coneflowers, dogwoods, buttonbush and milkweed.
Suddenly, it seemed they had one collective goal: Plant a butterfly garden beside a pretty little lake that would attract and possibly save butterflies — especially endangered monarch butterflies.
But these youngsters, and the people helping them, got more than they bargained for. Their work — overseen by teachers and volunteers like the Tennessee Aquarium’s lead horticulturist Christine Bock — put the finishing touches on a newly constructed wetland/storm water runoff remedy. They also created a future native plant demonstration site and a community park behind the school in Four Squares on Mountain Creek Road.
Along the way, they learned about pollution and about cleaning up pollution with a little help from nature. They learned about the ecology of a natural environment. They learned about endangered species. They learned about the economics of doing what is right. And they learned about themselves.