Raleigh teen builds butterfly garden for seniors as part of Eagle Scout project

As a young child, Kaitlyn Wesdock played in the hallways of the senior communities where her mother, Melissa Wesdock, worked as an occupational therapist.

When Melissa began working at Magnolia Glen, a senior living community near Crabtree, both she and 5-year-old Kaitlyn fell in love with the residents. Neither one of them could predict that, 10 years later, Kaitlyn, who is now in high school, would build a garden there for hundreds to enjoy.

"It just warms my heart to be here," Melissa said. "She's grown up here ... she sees some of the residents here as her grandparents and extended family."

In May, Kaitlyn put the finishing touches on her Eagle Scout project. With the help of her Scouts BSA (Boy Scouts of America) troop, she planned and built a pollinator-friendly butterfly garden for Magnolia Glen's residents. The butterfly-shaped garden is already attracting bees, butterflies and birds for residents to enjoy.

Kaitlyn was 11 and among the first girls in Raleigh to join Scouts BSA in 2019 when the organization changed its policy. Kaitlyn, a rising sophomore at Panther Creek High School, will sit for her board of review in August and will likely become the first Eagle Scout in her troop.

Melissa said there are now around 20 all-girl Scouts BSA troops in Wake County.

"The girls are going strong ... they really want to be a part of the movement and learn everything that the boys learn," Melissa said. "Scouts has given us some opportunities to do things that we normally wouldn't have been able to do."

Once Kaitlyn got the approval to build the garden, she began researching. She visited garden centers and asked experts to help her identify plants that would attract pollinators.

The residents maintain the garden and other plants on the grounds daily. Susan Linn, who has lived at Magnolia Glen for five years, is one of the leaders of the community's garden club.

"The plants here are thoroughly enjoyed by all our residents," Linn said. "They walk through here in the morning and they sit out here and socialize during the day. This area is really important to them."

Linn said the best thing about gardening is that it brings people together.

"The social aspect of gardening is what's so important," she said. "Our residents get together and just plant or water or talk about plants."

Magnolia Glen's residents and staff have already spotted butterflies, honeybees and even earthworms in the garden.

"We're waiting to see what comes along this fall," Linn said. "I admire Kaitlyn's handiwork every time I come down here."

"This is truly a special community, and this butterfly garden is the perfect addition," said Mary Casey, the executive director at Magnolia Glen. "I've seen so many residents admiring it from their patios and their balconies and on their morning walks."

Kaitlyn even volunteers in the Magnolia Glen therapy gym, shadowing her mom. She also wants to be an OT when she gets older.

"I think if she could she would move into Magnolia Glen and spend more time with all the residents here," Melissa said.