MAKING A DIFFERENCE : Gardener blossoms in Tigard butterfly garden

Thursday, July 21, 2005

"My family really thought I needed to get out more, so I did an Internet search for volunteering and gardening, and I found the butterfly garden," said Chappelle, 36, who is communications coordinator for the Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum in Wilsonville.

Chappelle works with two other volunteers, Pat Sharp and Marilyn Allen, and has been pruning, weeding and planting in the garden since February. The butterfly garden is a popular spot in the 79-acre regional park, which is owned and operated by Tigard.

The busiest time for the volunteers is spring, when they often work four hours a week to maintain the flowers and plants that attract butterflies. Volunteers spend about two hours a week in the garden during the summer, and in February, Chappelle stopped by once every two weeks to rake and prune.

Her other responsibilities include labeling plants and researching plant species that attract butterflies or repel pests such as mosquitoes.

Chappelle says the results drive her gardening efforts. "I can be a little obsessive-compulsive about it. The end result is always worth it for me, even if I have a sore back for three days. I enjoy a yard that just looks good and has nice colors. Twenty percent of my motivation is hoping that others will appreciate it visually, too." -- Skipp Thomsen

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