The Victorious Story Behind This Flower
If you were part of the 2-2 community for the 2014-2015, you may remember seeing this species of primrose, during our class trip to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in October 2014.
As part of Growing A Wild Brooklyn & Queens, a pilot program to help restore the Monarch butterfly habitat, we visited the plants in the park before we went inside and cleaned seeds. Soon after, Ranger Michelle and botanist Michael (with support from Eco-Schools, the National Wildlife Foundation, and others) brought our seeds back to the classroom,
where we scarified, planted and,over time, raised them under grow lights.
They grew into strong little seedlings. In May 2015, we brought back the tiny plants back to Ranger Michelle at the Wildlife Refuge, to help launch their new pollinator garden.
Along with the milkweed and clover, the transplanted primrose continued to grow in our garden and in the refuge’s pollinator garden.
And today, in mid-July, the primrose is bloomin’ in the school garden –and probably thriving in Jamaica Bay too.
Eleven months after we started, the cycle is complete.
Brooklyn and Queens is almost ready for the Monarchs to come through New York!
Click here to learn more about how to help the butterflies and our food supply. –Denise Maher
Related: Scenes from a Butterfly Program; Save-the-Monarch Movement Gains Momentum;
WILD Team Brings Botany to 2-2; What Its Like to Step Up Seedlings;
What’s Next for the Wild Brooklyn & Queens Program