Double Sink 4-H gets around! Leaders Melissa Mills, Trish Depew, and Mary Carr want to expose 4-H kids to a wide variety of what Florida has to offer.

The theme for this outing was butterflies, so their destination was the butterfly garden planted by the Friends of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge at the Refuge Headquarters.

The 4-H group met the Ranger at the Refuge headquarters and made their way to the shady River Trail, then across the Bottomlands Boardwalk. They caught a glimpse of a zebra swallowtail - our state butterfly, a buckeye, several sulphurs, and tiny skippers that could easily camouflage themselves. The Double Sink 4-H plan to return when the colorful wildflowers of fall are covered with a spectacular array of perfectly posed butterflies. But first, they will travel across the state to the ocean to watch a mother sea turtle lay her eggs in the sand just minutes away from the space shuttle launch site.

A century old, 4-H, with the help of caring leaders, raises youths’ awareness of our fragile environment and Florida’s native wildlife. After one hundred years of service to the youth of America, let’s give three cheers for these individuals, the 4-H leaders, who help shape the character of tomorrow’s adults.