ADAMS TWP — A Girl Scout troop's efforts to improve its community won the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Youth Award which celebrates youth groups making lasting contributions to their communities.

This year, Girl Scout Troop 28842 of Mars, which includes 10 girls in sixth grade at Mars Centennial School, won the distinction for its butterfly garden in the Adams Township Community Park, 698 Valencia Road.

“Usually every year we do a community project,” said Grace Wilson, a member of the troop.

Troop members initially wanted to renovate the existing butterfly garden.

When they found out a right of way would go straight through the spot, they changed their plans. Fortunately, the new location is next to a nice patch of milkweed — food of the monarch butterfly.

“The location was so important,” said Scout Kiara van Wyk. “I don't think people see a lot of the time how important location can be when they're doing this type of thing.”

Scouts started the process of designing a new garden by finding a spot close to the park's walking path. Wilson Landscape Construction provided consultation for the garden design.

“We planned it all out,” Grace said. “We measured everything.”

The troop made the butterfly garden bigger and updated features such as fencing.

Scouts raised money and supplies by going door to door and from Twilight Adventures Camp, an evening summer camp the troop runs for younger Girl Scouts in Adams Township.

Labor was largely volunteered by troop fathers.

While the work took about four months — from March to June — the scouts said they can't claim the project's success as their own.

“We wouldn't like to take all the credit for it,” Kiara said.

“We had help from parents and other Girl Scout groups,” said scout Madeline James.

Scouts learned to identify different types of annual and perennial plants during their project. They also learned about insects and how to attract “good” bugs to a garden.

But maybe the most interesting thing the troop learned was how to “transplant” and track monarch butterflies.

After planting the garden, each girl had the chance to take home monarch caterpillars, let them hatch from their chrysalises, and return them to the garden as butterflies.

The process of transporting a butterfly from a box to a flower is delicate, according to the troop members: You must gently hold the wings together at their tips and move quickly.

After introducing butterflies to the garden this year, the Scouts also set some with trackers.

“You put a sticker on its wing,” said Scout Makenna Steiner. “And if someone ... catches the butterfly, they can contact us.”

Specifically, butterflies with stickers on their wings are documented on their migration to Mexico. This provides data concerning how far they fly, which routes they take and how many make it to their destination.

Madeline has another hope for the butterflies the troop tracked.

“Whenever their babies grow, maybe they (can) come back to our butterfly garden,” Madeline said.

The troop gets a $500 cash prize as part of the PSATS award. The money will be presented Tuesday night during the Butler County Association of Township Officials Fall Convention at the Slippery Rock Municipal Center.

But the Scouts didn't plant the garden for the money. One thing they specifically wanted to accomplish with the project is to provide a place where people can enjoy nature all year around.

From the leaders' perspective, the point of the project was to show the Scouts what they're made of.

“Our personal goal was for them to see ... what their strengths were,” said Kristin Wilson. “Our goal started out much smaller than what it turned into.”

Wilson also hoped the Scouts would learn to share their skills with each other and with their community.

At this, the troop succeeded. At the Twilight Adventure Camp, the troop got younger Girl Scouts involved with their project. Mosaic stones made by younger girls at the camp are now part of the garden's walkway.

“We're trying to build self-confidence in them,” Kiara said. “It's not just adults who can do this kind of thing.”

Between improving the environment and providing a space for people to enjoy being outside, the troop estimates the butterfly garden has helped about 50,000 people — and countless butterflies.

The troop doesn't know which big project it will tackle next. Several troop members want to continue expanding the garden next year.

“It just makes me feel very proud of what we can accomplish,” Kiara said. “It just makes you realize girls can do anything.”