In an effort to earn his final Beaver Scout badge, a South Surrey youngster has brightened up his neighbourhood by planting pollinator gardens in some nearby boulevards.
Seven-year-old Caspian Lai – along with a handful of his neighbours – recently created native pollinator gardens along 18 Avenue, between 154 and 156 Streets. The group received a grant for the project from the City of Surrey, which was enough to plant gardens in six planters.
Native plants serve as habitat and a food source for pollinators, and they grow easier and use less water than non-native or modified plants.
By establishing these native gardens our goal is to promote awareness of native plants and their importance for our ecosystem,” said Ayoe Lai, Caspian’s mom.
“Some native pollinators, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps and birds, can only live off of certain plants and if those plants are not available, they will eventually go extinct.”
While the planters could take up to a year to fully develop and grow – requiring maintenance and care in the meantime – after that point “they should be pretty independent,” Ayoe Lai said.
For his efforts, Caspian earned the North Star Award – the final badge before one can graduate to Cub Scouts. Other requirements to earn the badge include community service; Caspian has picked up garbage in his community multiple times and also painted the yellow fish markings next to storm drains with his local Beaver Scout group.
editorial@peacearchnews.com
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