One substantial bi-product of the pandemic was that in many instances the fun was taken away. With social distancing and limited access to things, we found ourselves in a world that seemed to be summed up as – CANCELLED. The fun was taken out of our lives and taken away from our youth. As schools were closed to visitors in 2021, Logan County Extension partnered with our Family Resource Youth Service Centers to try to bring some of that happiness and fun back to the classroom. We began garden projects at many schools.

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” –Audrey Hepburn

We wanted to give students something to be a part of and something to look forward to. We decided to take the gardens a step further and incorporate the study of Life Cycles. We had 16 butterfly habitats, 2 ladybug habitats, and 6 chick incubators in classrooms across the county. The teachers and administrators loved the hands-on activities that tied directly to their curriculum, but what they liked most was the happiness and excitement each project brought to the students.

In the spring of 2022, we were able to grow the project. All 9 schools in Logan County and Russellville were able to be a part of this project. We were able to place 22 chick incubators, 49 butterfly habitats, and 6 ladybug habits in classrooms throughout both school systems. We were also able to place 44 hummingbird feeders on classroom windows. These were placed in preschool through high school classrooms including special education and FMD.

Teachers said students were able to use 4-H curriculum to enhance their learning about mitosis, meiosis, life cycles, Logan County agriculture production, communication, responsibility, entrepreneurship, temperature, humidity, measuring, and pollinators. One high school biology teacher said, “We were able to have a discussion on the sanctity of life – growth and development brought about a deeper understanding of human development. Raising the chicks taught students the importance and responsibility of taking care of live organism.”

Increased happiness is difficult to quantify, but the smiles on every student, teacher, and administrator’s face at the school-wide butterfly release and as they held their baby chicks is enough to let us know that this project makes a difference and we want it to continue to grow in years to come!