Palmetto Bay Ladybugs

When comes to Earth Day celebrations, Palmetto Bay loves to involve the Village school children.  Over a two-day period, the entire Village Council and members of the Palmetto Bay Policing Unit visited Winhold Montessori, Alexander Montessori, Westminster Elementary, Coral Reef Elementary, Perrine Elementary, Christ Fellowship, Palmetto Bay Branch Library, Howard Drive Elementary and the Ken Robinson Meditation Garden in Coral Reef Park.

Mayor Shelley Stanczyk teaches ladybug facts to Howard Drive Elementary students.

During that time, the kids released over 70,000 ladybugs.  Besides being a fun activity, it was educational and good for the environment.  Did you know that the average ladybug will eat about 5000 destructive bugs during its lifetime?  That ladybugs have retractable heads, like a turtle? Or that ladybugs have mouths that crew horizontally, not vertical?

Palmetto Bay Councilmembers Tendrich, Lindsay and Fiore (pictured) toured with Mayor Stanczyk and Vice Mayor Pariser.

Along with the Mayor, Councilmembers Howard Tendrich, Joan Lindsay, and Patrick Fiore visited Howard Drive Elementary to help eight classes (over 100 kids) release ladybugs into the surrounding bushes.

Principal Deanna Dalby said, “The kids love the release and it’s a great learning experience.  It’s a wonderful thing that the Village does every year.”

Councilwoman Joan Lindsay remarked, “The schools really got into this and enjoyed it immensely.  Some made tee-shirts, wrote poems, sang special songs, performed dances and celebrated in other special ways in conjunction with the release.”

Commander Truitt (MD Police) helps Howard Drive students release 1500 ladybugs.

Even the Palmetto Bay Policing Unit toured with the ladybugs and helped the kids spread them around the school grounds.