A brightly colored insect lands on a flower and pauses. Its delicate wings beat while it drinks the nectar and moves to the next flower. Pollen is transferred between the blooms. Nearby, a bumblebee forages for pollen. 

Whether monarch or honeybee, insects are essential to the ecosystem. Habitat destruction and climate are destroying these populations, but Middletown High School senior Kaia Wynne is working to protect the Middletown pollinator community through her Girl Scout Gold Award.

The nationwide Girl Scouts organization considers the Gold Award as the “mark of the truly remarkable.” It consists of at least 80 hours of service dedicated to one project. A project is required to be sustainable, measurable, and consist of a national or global link. This challenge is one Wynne decided to take on. 

For her project, Wynne said she is “building pollinator gardens in the town of Middletown” as well as passing out seed packets to the community. She hopes to inspire citizens to grow their own pollinator gardens. 

Currently, Wynne is past the halfway mark. She started her mission in early 2021, but had to complete an application process consisting of a series of written questions, outlines, and an interview. 

This was not the only challenge Wynne has faced in her project. She believes the most difficult part was “contacting people and getting seeds.” 

“It’s a process that sometimes is not always easy,” said local Girl Scout Troop 81213 leader Deborah Reichelt. 

Wynne has received a lot of help from the community to complete her award. 

“She’s gotten a lot of volunteer materials for her project, and that’s a part of the process, learning how to work with corporations and whatever in getting support for your project,” said Nancy Wynne, Wynne’s main assistant.

Wynne also ran a booth at the 2022 Middletown Heritage Festival. She taught people about the importance of pollinators and passed out educational materials and seeds. 

Nancy Wynne said they distributed almost 400 seed packets at the festival. She thinks this will “affect the community in a very positive way.” 

“I love the environment, and I love helping butterflies and bees because they are so crucial to our world,” said Wynne. She hopes to continue her conservation efforts, making a small but meaningful impact on a worldwide issue.