Dear Editor,

We created native gardens in Northport Park to attract pollinators and help with water run-off. We also put many different types of native plants in the park because we love Northport, and we wanted to make a beautiful space for people walking down to enjoy the harbor. We are Girl Scout Troop 1574 who just finished our fifth grade year at Northport Middle School.

Native plants attract local pollinators and creatures (like bees and butterflies) since they are an important food source. They are also low-maintenance and beautiful! If members of our community want to make similar changes, they can go to the Northport Native Garden Initiative (NNGI) website (www.nngi.org) to learn about native plants, and order plants which will grow best here. If you plant native plants at your house, you’ll have a beautiful garden that attracts pollinators local to Long Island and helps you grow your vegetables!

We want people to know that you can make a big change by doing a small act. Look at us – we are just 10- and 11-year-old girls in fifth grade. If we can do it, you can, too. Small things can make a big difference!

We’d like to thank Sara Abbass from NNGI who helped us plan the native garden with plants that are good for our environment. We’d also like to thank Meghan Dolan because she approved our project and invited us to a Village meeting to learn how our local government works. We also thank the mayor, the Village board, and our troop leaders who have helped us.

We invite the community to visit our gardens at the foot of Main Street, under the Houses of Worship sign, and by the car exit of the north parking lot.

Sincerely,
Sophie Achee, Michaela Bruno, Fiona King, and Jane Tucker
Girl Scout Troop 1574