Grandview Preparatory School Students Build Greenhouse to Rehabilitate Local, Endangered Butterflies

BOCA RATON, Fla. - April 30, 2015 - PRLog -- For students in Grandview Preparatory School’s Innovation Program, learning is literally taking place outside of the classroom. As part of the school’s Innovation Program, a personalized learning experience comprising collegiate curriculum taught in a blended (online and in person) format and the completion of a completely student-run, in-depth research project, students are building a greenhouse specifically designed to rehabilitate South Florida endangered butterfly species.

Caitlen Macias, a junior in the Innovation Program at Grandview, said that the group considered many different projects, but ultimately chose the student-constructed greenhouse because of its far-reaching impact. “We wanted a project that would impact our Grandview community and the South Florida area,” said Macias.

As part of the project, Grandview students plan to host the Atala hairstreak butterfly, along with its host plants, which are all recognized as endangered species in Florida. “We hope to bring its population back to what it once was before invasive species and over development killed its host plants,” said Tasman Rosenfeld, a freshmen. “Butterflies, like bees, are pollinators, so their disappearance can have significant consequences on our ecosystem.” The greenhouse will also host some newly endangered monarch butterflies and a number of heliconian butterflies, both of which are native to Florida.

The students have three goals for their greenhouse project:

1.       Build the greenhouse on campus, allowing for the education of students at all levels;

2.       Populate the greenhouse and work to rehabilitate local species by recording, demonstrating and sharing their collaborative efforts; and

3.       Inspire the community to take an interest in and raise awareness about supporting the conservation of our local environment.

“Projects like this one make school more like real life,” said Sam Berey, Director of Program Innovation at Grandview and the faculty advisor for the Innovation Program. “It’s an in-depth investigation of a real-world topic, worthy of the students’ attention and effort.”

“Not only are the students incredibly dedicated and passionate about this project, but they share those same emotions about collaborating with one another,” added Berey. “The greenhouse project proves that when students are interested in what they are doing and are able to use their areas of strength, they achieve at a higher level.”

Students have already inspired the Grandview community with this project; the GoFundMe campaign (http://www.gofundme.com/oiu4og) (to raise the funds necessary for purchasing the materials to build the greenhouse) raised over $6,000 in less than six days. As part of the campaign, students wrote, recorded and produced a video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEbFrpslERc&feature=y...) about the greenhouse. Further, Grandview students have spent time on the weekends and after school setting the foundation for the greenhouse with the help and guidance of Jeffrey Adkins from Adkins Orchids, Inc. Students have learned valuable skills in building: clearing and leveling land, wielding an ax and a sledge hammer, framing a building and pouring cement.



“Working with people who have different skill sets really taught me to appreciate what everyone has to offer and we all collaborated to find ways for everyone to be helpful to the greenhouse project,” said Jack Forney, a junior in Grandview Preparatory School’s Innovation Program. “You can’t find the things we are learning in a textbook.”

About Grandview Preparatory School
Grandview Preparatory School is an independent, co-educational day school offering enrollment for students in Early Childhood through Grade 12. Blending traditional and innovative learning experiences, Grandview creates an atmosphere of engagement for students in a community that emphasizes values and character. Founded in 1997, the school campus is located less than a mile from the ocean in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information, please visit www.grandviewprep.net.