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Third-graders honored for helping make Wake County one of the most monarch-friendly places in the US

Wake County is one of the most monarch-friendly places in the United States -- and it's mainly due to the hard work of a Holly Springs teacher and her third grade students.
Posted 2022-05-29T18:58:29+00:00 - Updated 2022-05-30T02:23:17+00:00
Holly Springs students honored for conservation efforts

Wake County is one of the most monarch-friendly places in the United States — and it's mainly due to the hard work of a Holly Springs teacher and her third grade students.

Each year, Katie Thompson, a global education teacher at Pine Springs Preparatory Academy, teachers her third-grade students about pollinators.

As part of the curriculum, Thompson's students write to a Wake County mayor to encourage them to take part in The National Wildlife Federation's Mayor's Monarch Pledge.

When a mayor takes the pledge, they promise to help create habitats for monarchs and other pollinators. The NWF says that in recent years, the monarch butterfly has decreased by 90 percent in eastern populations.

On Tuesday, Thompson's students were honored for getting all Wake County cities and town's sign the pledge. The mayors of Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Knightdale and Wendell came to thank the students for their perseverance and commitment.

"It's so important for you to know that you can make a change," Knightdale Mayor Jessica Day told the students during Tuesday's ceremony. "You can make a difference. Your voice, and what you decide to say can make a difference."

"You made this happen. You put the letters. You sent them. You asked — you made the request and we were happy to join in. This just shows you as a small example what you can do when you stand up for what you believe in and ask for it," said Day.

Fuquay-Varina Mayor Blake Massengill also thanked the students for their letters.

"Those letters made a difference. They were beautiful letters and they were very impressive. Y'all should be very proud of yourselves for what you're doing here today," said Massengill.

Garner Mayor Ken Marshburn said he was so impressed by the students' letters that instead of doing the three action items the pledge asked, Marshburn decided to do 10 action items.

"As mayor, it is so refreshing to hear from a lot of people but from kids," said Marshburn,

Wendell Mayor Virginia Gray also echoed the sentiments of being impressed with the students. Gray said she carried the letters around for several days and even has them hung up in her office.

"We've learned something from each other," Gray told the students.

However, the students were also able to give thanks back to the mayors during the ceremony.

"Because of you, we just got a little closer to making the world a better place," one third-grader told the mayors.

As a final token of appreciation, Fred Harris, a representative from the North Carolina National Wildlife Federation presented each student with a certificate honoring their work to get each Wake County town to sign the pledge.

"Take pride — you've accomplished something much bigger than those letters," said Harris. "You've provided those butterflies and other pollinators a place to live ... that's a huge accomplishment."

"You've contributed to their survival and their successful."

While Tuesday's ceremony ended with Thompson and her students releasing a dozen monarchs into the air, Thompson says the work isn't over for protecting butterflies.

Thompson says she plans to continue the letter writing campaign to mayors north of Wake County to create a corridor for the state's pollinators.

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