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The Oakville Beaver, Friday May 26, 2006 - 21 Blakelock students creating butterfly garden By Wilma Blokhuis OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The forgotten empty courtyard at T. A. Blakelock (TAB) High School is about to come alive with blooms and butterflies. The school's Flora and Fauna Club has, for the past three years, been raising money and coming up with design ideas for TAB's butterfly garden. Local landscape architect Marius F. M. de Bruyn of Aesthetic+Design has produced the final design incorporating the students' ideas. The courtyard, completely enclosed by the school building and visible from some classrooms, will be transformed into a large butterfly garden with gazebo, pergola, pond, vegetable garden, arbour and an outdoor classroom. There are two entrances into the courtyard. It will also feature student art plus sitting areas created from logs and rocks. Vines will climb up the side and over the top of the pergola. Oakville Hydro has donated logs. To date, close to $3,000 has already been raised, said Loktin Got, a Grade 10 student and one of the club's eight core members. This includes $1,000 from the TD Canada Trust Friends of the Environment Foundation for plants and another $1,000 from the Halton Learning Foundation that will partly pay for the gazebo, said teacher advisor Terry Warcholak, a science teacher. The students are involved because they're interested in preserving the environ- KEVIN HILL / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER SCIENCE PROJECT: T.A. Blakelock science teacher Terry Warcholak is reflected on the glass of the school's Flora and Fauna Club's display case of the butterfly garden to be constructed in the school's courtyard. ment, said Palwasha Khan, who is in Grade 11. "Our butterflies are disappearing and since they have a short life time we want to make it better for them." The other student members are Claire Choe and Kate Tziougras who are in Grade 9; Spencer Hu who is in Grade 10, Peter Copping and Lauren Park, both in Grade 11 and Neil Williamson, a Grade 12 student. The main features will be the pergola, gazebo and outdoor classroom, said Warcholak, adding the butterfly garden will be open during lunch times under teacher supervision and for outdoor classroom use. "It will be supervised at all times the garden is open," he said. The gazebo is being built by the school's woodworking students ­ only the roof needs to be completed, the metal working students are creating metal ornaments such as a cactus and butterfly and the technical design students will be assigned the task of designing the pergola. "The whole school is involved," said Warcholak. "We need to raise between $10,000 and $15,000," he said, adding the placement of the rocks will be the biggest cost. Warcholak hopes local organizations will assist the school by donating plants. "Native plants that provide food for butterflies and food for the larvae will be planted," said Warcholak. "We want to attract different species that will live in the garden year round." These plants will include milkweed, sunflowers, butterfly bushes, pussy willows, perennials, cone flowers, asters, lilac bushes, blazing star and goldenrod. The study of butterflies will be incorporated in TAB's science programs, he added. The Flora and Fauna Club will hold a car wash at the school at 1160 Rebecca St., on Saturday from 12 - 3 p.m. ­ by donation ­ and a trunk sale on Sunday, also from 12 - 3 p.m. ­ admission to sell items from the trunk of your vehicle is $10. Work to create the garden has already begun, said Warcholak. A large area of the courtyard has already been covered in dark plastic to kill the grass. A groundbreaking ceremony to begin construction of the butterfly garden will be held on Wednesday, May 31 at 9:30 a.m. R EDEFINING YOUR EXPECTATIONS Golf It's more than you expected. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT SAYS PRIVATE CLUB, EXCEPT IT'S PUBLIC. Call today and book an unforgettable round at The Club at Bond Head. Located only 45 minutes from Oakville you'll find two magnificent courses that are conveniently close in distance but worlds apart in design. The first is a European-inspired links course with rugged bunkers and tall grass hazards, and the second a traditional North American parkland style course that features undulating fairways and dramatic elevation changes. Whether you're playing with your regular foursome, planning a charity or corporate event, Bond Head is the perfect golfing destination. After your round, experience memorable cuisine with private dining at the Terrace or lunch at the Bistro. When it comes to dining and golf, The Club at Bond Head redefines your expectations. Please contact us to arrange for your personal tour. 1.877.472.6348 or 905.778.9400 | www.theclubatbondhead.com