Local students help improve butterfly garden

WESLACO — Students from South Texas College are donating their time to help protect some of nature's most delicate creatures - butterflies.

The group of more than five dozen students with the STC Mid-Valley Biology Club took a trip to South Padre Island to help the SPI gardens group revamp an existing butterfly garden on Gulf Boulevard on June 28.

Club leader Debbie Villalon said the trip was a success.

"We had a great batch of students coming in for the summer time," Villalon said. "I would say that we had at least 65 students and about 15 people from South Padre Island (and) I brought plants that were donated from the Weslaco area."

The gardening endeavor also received help and donations from various businesses in the Mid-Valley and South Padre Island communities, said SPI gardens representative Nancy Patterson.  

"The community just came out and really volunteered," Patterson said. "Benny's on the Bay made burgers, the Dorados brought the drinks and it was just a great experience."

Also donating to the project were Mid-Valley Garden & Pond Supply, the Valley Nature Center, Veranda's Garden Center, Alita's Watermelons, Ramada Inn and the North America Butterfly Association International Butterfly Park, said Patterson.  

About 100 species of plants were placed at the garden, but Patterson singled out one important plant in particular.

"The most important plants (for butterflies) anyone can plant are those in the milkweed family," she said. "We planted the Mexican Milkweed and native weeds that were already there. These are essential for Monarch Butterflies to lay their eggs on."

Villalon and Patterson said the weekend project came about strictly by chance.

"I had known about that garden since they built it but I didn't know who to contact about it," said Villalon. "One day I was riding my bike by the garden and I saw Nancy working on it. Then I found out she was in charge of it."

Villalon volunteered her students while Patterson procured extra help and provisions for the event. 

"It was really nice that I met Dr. Villalon, Patterson said. "I was out working on the garden by myself and she came by and said she would bring her students."

The STC Mid-Valley Biology Club now looks to the future to continue its work throughout the Rio Grande Valley, said Villalon.

"We want to go back with the second summer session group," she said. "Some of the students taking me for Biology II are already asking about it."