Charleston's West Side will soon have a new butterfly garden.
Lighthouse of Learning, a small private school in the Elk City neighborhood, will build the garden on an empty lot on Indiana Avenue.
Tighe Bullock, one of the owners of the property the garden will sit on, donated the land to the school.
The school's director, Judie Smith, has worked with students and parents to design a garden that will include fresh produce and flowers. The students will be in charge of maintaining it year round.
Bullock said the garden is something that he's always wanted to see in the neighborhood. A home he purchased on Ohio Avenue a few years ago came with a large lot. As the empty lot stood there, he lamented that nothing was being done with it. After bouncing ideas off Smith, they determined a garden was the best solution.
Recycled brick from the former Dollar General building, which Bullock is currently restoring, will be used to construct the garden's brick walkway and to build raised beds.
The students will build the walkways and the raised beds as school starts. Parent volunteers are also assisting with the project.
Smith said she's incorporating organic gardening into the curriculum, and students already started growing herbs over the summer.
"They have opportunities to learn gardening, biology with the butterflies, they can learn about environmental concerns, they can learn cooking, science," said Stacy Kepple, a parent helping head up the project. "We can pack a lot with it."
Kepple said one of the lessons she thinks students will learn the most is how the garden will help dying insect breeds, including bees and monarch butterflies. She hopes that by teaching the students about environmental concerns, they'll start thinking about how they can be more eco-friendly.
"Instead of learning how to be passive and not doing anything about it, they'll do something about it," Kepple said.
Smith and Kepple hope to have flowers planted in the garden next Spring.
Bullock's already excited to see when students begin walking down to the garden. He said he hopes the garden will be around for years to come.
"Anything that can bring a sense of community pride and put a smile on people's faces is appreciated," Bullock said.
They're still trying to acquire more dirt and soil, and to have more tools for the project. They also hope corporate sponsors will get involved.
For more information on how to get involved, or to donate to the project, call Lighthouse of Learning at 304-389-8025.
Reach Ali Schmitz at ali.schmitz@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-4843 or follow @SchmitzMedia on Twitter.