CHARLOTTE — An Eagle Scout has raised thousands of dollars and enlisted the help of fellow Eagle Scouts to build a butterfly garden in a place that is special to him.
Agastya Kartha is turning piles of mulch into a colorful oasis outside Gurdwara Sahib Charlotte on University City Boulevard, the first Gurdwara in North Carolina.
“I hope that it makes them enjoy being outside in nature more, as well as giving them a reason to come here to the Gurdwara,” Kartha said.
He hasn’t been involved in horticulture before. He hasn’t even graduated from high school.
But he started a GoFundMe and raised $2,100 for flowers, mulch and benches. He has added lavender, marigolds, a butterfly bush and more.
Kartha said his project was inspired by his late grandmother.
“She loved greenery, and even more, she loved butterflies,” he said. “So I thought like, why not combine all of that and build a butterfly garden.”
Kartha said he was 12 years old when his grandmother passed. But her love for nature’s beauty has stuck with him.
He said he hopes the beautiful spot outside will make others feel good on the inside.
“I hope that it calms people down,” Kartha said. “I hope that it makes them like, think like deep in their own thoughts and be able to reflect on aspects of their life that they haven’t thought about previously.”
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