by Melissa A. Chadwick | Staff Writer
Tucked in a new greenhouse in a former maintenance yard, volunteers at Black Hill Regional Park are cultivating flora native to Maryland — and, if all goes well, new turf for the state’s official butterfly.
Next stop for the plants is county schools, where students are encouraged to plant and cultivate butterfly gardens in hopes of attracting the Baltimore checkerspot, said Steve Radov, nature program manager at the 1,843-acre Boyds park.
Last fall, volunteers scoured county forests with Park Naturalist Denise Gibbs to collect seeds from 17 species and learn how to propagate them. The species were selected to attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other insects and wildlife, said Peg Dorgan of Germantown, a member of the Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs, which pursued grants to buy the greenhouse after park naturalists expressed an interest.
A grant from the Montgomery County Parks Society and private donations secured enough money for the 12 foot-by-20 foot greenhouse, Radov said.
‘‘The whole purpose of it was to grow native plants to donate to an elementary school per year, particularly for a butterfly garden,” Radov said.
The Friends have grown more than 4,000 plants since the greenhouse was installed last summer, said Dorgan, 66.
‘‘We didn’t know that there was going to be that many that made it,” said Tina Soule, 64, of Damascus.
So many did that the Friends are hosting a native plant and wildflower sale May 16-17 at the park. Proceeds will benefit park naturalist programs, including supplies for the greenhouse such as soil and potting tools, Radov said.
Sixty volunteers planted a wildflower meadow at Black Hill on Earth Day, and the Friends plan more plantings throughout the spring and summer. Of particular importance is the white turtlehead, which is the host of the checkerspot, and milkweed, which attracts monarch butterflies.
In summer 2005, a colony of the elusive checkerspot was spotted in Clarksburg, and white turtlehead has been planted at sites in Clarksburg to encourage a habitat.
‘‘Certain species are dependent on native plants. When that habitat is gone, they’ll be gone,” Radov said. ‘‘If we keep developing all the sunny wet meadows and don’t protect them, we won’t have the checkerspot. We’re trying to restore these habitats so that we still have our Maryland state insect and it’s not something that kids would read about as being extinct.”
The push comes at a time when ‘‘going green” is the buzzword du jour.
‘‘I think everyone is trying to find ways to help the environment, instead of just writing letters to complain,” Dorgan said.
It’s an important lesson for students, too.
Second-graders in Montgomery County schools grow painted ladies in their classrooms every year. Planting a butterfly meadow on school property could enlighten students, and Radov also seeks to partner with horticulture students at Damascus High School, which also has a greenhouse.
‘‘Then kids can also just walk outside the door of their class, and study,” instead of taking costly field trips, Radov said.
native plantsand wildflower sale
The Friends of Black Hill Nature Programs will host an open house and native plant sale 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 16 and 9 a.m. to noon May 17. Refreshments will be served. Follow the signs to the plant sale at the park, 20926 Lake Ridge Drive, Boyds. For more information about Black Hill programs or volunteering, call the park at 301-916-0220.
