2016 USF Stampede of Service at MOSI Outside

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'  ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

For the past ten years, students at the University of South Florida have been honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a "Stampede of Service" on the Saturday preceding the MLK holiday. This year, MOSI Outside was pleased to host 15 hard-working undergrads on a balmy January morning as they fulfilled Dr. King's belief that service to others is the most important part of life.

Over the course of about two and half hours, these students moved and spread 20 cubic yards of pine bark march to give our outdoor butterfly garden a much-needed refreshing. Along the way, they learned about some of the plants and butterflies that we raise, and discovered that toting wheelbarrows and shoveling mulch is a great workout!

And now, some "before and after" shots of the gardens themselves!

Amazing what a difference some mulch makes, isn't it?

Mulching a garden bed helps to keep down weeds, retains moisture around plants' roots, and improves the overall appearance. We like to use pine bark mulch at MOSI Outside, as it seems to take longer to break down than other mulches. We avoid cypress mulch, as it's often harvested unsustainably.

The students finished with a few moments of reflection as they gathered underneath the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sycamore tree in our Historic Tree Grove, a fitting end to a morning of service to others. In just a few hours, these student volunteers completed a task that would have taken MOSI Outside's tiny garden staff several weeks to do. We're so grateful they chose to share their time with us, and pleased to see the next generation making a commitment to making the world around them a better place for all.