Knightcrawlers Awarded Outstanding Wichita County 4-H Group 2005 Hanna and Cindy Huckabee Each year Wichita County 4-H honors the group that has the most outstanding accomplishments for the year. Recently, at the 2005 Wichita County Extension and 4-H Achievement Banquet, the Notre Dame JMG Knightcrawlers received this well deserved award. The Notre Dame Knightcrawlers are a group of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders participating in the after-school JMG Level 1 Program. The Knightcrawlers began in August 2003 with 12 gardeners. As the school grounds were transformed, interest grew and so did the JMG group. Today, there are 30 Knightcrawlers who meet regularly for the science and horticulture activities offered. One of their first projects included building a Butterfly Garden so the Kindergartners would have a place to release the butterflies they grew in their classrooms. With the help of Al Norris and the Master Gardeners of North Texas, the Knightcrawlers also built a raised vegetable Pizza Garden. This was so successful that they added raised flowerbeds to the barren areas outside the Library and Kindergarten classrooms. Other projects around the school and Church grounds include a shade garden, composting (including a Worm Farm), beautification of the courtyard, planting hyacinth beans to spruce up our view of the bus barn, and a pumpkin patch that has produced an abundant squash harvest as well as both orange and white pumpkins! The Notre Dame Knightcrawlers have been featured in the local newspaper on several occasions and on Newscenter 3 "Making the Grade." The JMG Group has also been in the North Texas Catholic newspaper for the Diocese of Fort Worth. Along with gardening experiences, this group of children is learning leadership and teamwork skills. They have been very enthusiastic in serving the community and continue to work hard for the love of gardening! The groups teacher is Cindy Huckabee. Congratulations to her and the young gardeners. Mike Mahan Wichita County Extension Agent, 4-H 600 Scott Street, Ste. 200 Wichita Falls, Texas 76301 Phone: (940) 716-8610 Fax: (940) 716-8615 Email: mn-mahan@tamu.edu Back to Over the Garden Gate Directory Page!