Mysuru school students create their own butterfly park

There's more to learning than just academics, which is exactly what over 100 higher primary students of Arivu Educational and Cultural Trust realised, when they were given the task of creating a butterfly park. The students planted host and nectar plants, which will attract the winged visitors, and the school hopes to throw open the park later this week.
Speaking to us, Dr Abhijith, the coordinator of nature resource-related activities for the trust, says, “We want to give practical knowledge to school kids on butterfly breeding by setting up the park in 1,200 square feet area. They need to know the way to live with nature without sticking only to academics. The students planted host plants to live and nectar plants that serve as food for butterflies to complete their life cycle.”
Before embarking on the project, the students were given theoretical knowledge about the job at hand. “The students were guided by experts like Shivaprakash Adavanne and Sahana. Considering weather conditions, the park is conducive for the breeding of various species of butterflies like common mormon, blue mormon, common rose, crimson rose and pioneer butterfly. The park will be opened to the public shortly,” adds Abhijith.
On Sunday evening, the butterfly park will be inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G Sankar, followed by a special talk and slide show by Sahana M on Himalayan birds.
HOW TO CREATE A BUTTERFLY PARK
1. Find out the right species of butterfly depending on weather conditions
2. Pick seeds from nearby nurseries and nurture it by pouring water regularly until it starts germinating. Ensure soil is properly prepared so that seeds start germinating early.
3. Select right species of nectar and host plants as both play key roles in attracting butterflies.