Matanzas students teach biodiversity

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

As a group of nature enthusiasts gathered around butterfly expert Dr. Marc Minno, he stood next to a red cedar tree situated at the beginning of a Princess Place Preserve butterfly trail and shook. All watched in hopes of seeing a juniper hairstreak butterfly emerge from the branches.

This was how one of several tours began Saturday, March 17, at Biodiversity Day, presented by Matanzas High School’s Princess Place program.

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of species, their genetic makeup and the natural communities in which they occur. The service-learning project included expert-guided tours of butterfly habitats, in addition to eagles’ nests and a kayak tour.

For students like sophomore Camille Weekley, the event was an opportunity to educate the community about what she has learned throughout the year.

“When you go to school in classrooms, it’s a desk and a wall, but when you come out here, you get to see a lot of different stuff and learn more, but at a slower pace,” she said while guiding a tour group through a Spanish moss canopy to a trailhead. “We learn, and we educate other people.”