Friday, April 29, 2011

What better way to read a book than surrounded by butterflies in a reading nook? The University of North Carolina Wilmington will host the grand opening of the native plant butterfly garden located at the WHA-UNCW Community Campus at Hillcrest on Sat., April 30 from 1-3 p.m.

The butterfly garden features a reading nook where community members can sit on benches and read while surrounded by wildlife. The idea originated when Kim Lancaster, community outreach liaison, noticed that when the weather was nice, children in the community wanted to be outside. After UNCW began its reading program for children ages 4-7 at Hillcrest, it became even more apparent that the children needed a place to read and complete their lessons outdoors when the sun was shining.

"I wanted to give the children a beautiful place to sit outside and learn," said Lancaster. "Not only could we have a beautiful garden for everyone to enjoy, but it could be educational as well."

The community campus received a grant from the Cape Fear Garden Club to create the butterfly garden. Undergraduate UNCW Public Sociology students interning at the community campus this spring helped plant the garden with help from children in the afterschool program.
The garden features N.C. native plants that attract a variety of wildlife, including butterflies, caterpillars and birds. The 11 types of plants include fringe tree, American elderberry, blue star, coastal plain dwarf iris, fireworks goldenrod, hyssop leaf thoroughwort, plantain leaved pussytoes, purple milkweed, crossvine, beautyberry and mayberry. The plants were recommended by Growing Wild Nursery.

The garden opening, sponsored by the UNCW Public Sociology program and the Cape Fear Garden Club, will include a ribbon cutting, a butterfly talk and time to socialize with the community.

The schedule for the opening is below:

1 p.m. - Butterfly Garden ribbon cutting
1:30 p.m. - Refreshments, with music by Perry Smith
2 p.m. - Butterfly talk by Matt Collogan of New Hanover County Parks and Gardens
2:30 p.m. - Piñata (made by afterschool program participants)
Media are invited to attend the opening of the Butterfly Garden. Interviews will be available.

Media Contacts:
Emily Jones, Media Relations, 910.962.3171 or jonesel@uncw.edu
Dana Fischetti, media relations manager, 910.508.3127 or fischettid@uncw.edu