The first phase of a 1 1/2-acre butterfly meadow dedicated to the memory of Francie Billotti-Wood and her three children was completed recently at the Catoctin Creek Park and Nature Center.
More than 30 volunteers showed up for the two-day effort. The Frederick County Nature Council received a donation of more than $4,000 from the Billotti-Wood family for the meadow. The funds were raised by a 5K run organized by family and friends.
Dana Chapman, a Frederick County Parks and Recreation intern from Hood College, researched and designed the butterfly meadow for her internship project at the Catoctin Creek Nature Center south of Middletown.
“It was so awesome to see the plan that I had been working on for around six months come to life before my eyes,” Chapman said. “In the beginning some of the volunteers were a little skeptical about how the meadow would look, but after mulch was put in with the paths, the design became real and not just a drawing on a piece of paper.”
The volunteers put down 94 cubic yards of mulch in the garden Nov. 19 and 20, she said.
“If it had not been for the amazing volunteers that participated, we would not have been able to achieve the goals of mulching the paths and seeding the ground in one weekend,” she said. “Overall, we had a great weekend, and it was a lot of fun getting to meet new people and new friends.”
Frederick County Parks and Recreation staff had applied herbicide in late October, leveled the area and brought in the mulch. The volunteers laid down the mulched trails and planted 13 pounds of native Maryland wildflower seeds.
Molly Derr, chairwoman of the 5K committee, is planning a third fundraising event in memory of the Billotti-Wood family. She said participation was personal for her and the other volunteers who knew Francie.
Francie Billotti-Wood, 33, and her children, Chandler Wood, 5, Gavin Wood, 4, and Fiona Wood, 2, were killed in April 2009 by her husband and the children’s father, who then killed himself.
Funding generated by the first 5K race in their honor was used to buy four pieces of playground equipment for the Middletown Memorial Park; the second event paid for four benches and the butterfly meadow. A project for the third race scheduled for March 17 has not been finalized.
“These are all things Francie would be involved in,” Derr said. “She loved Middletown, and this is a great way to honor her and the kids.”
Volunteers will return to the park in April to help install the four benches and plant spring wildflowers in the meadow. A commemorative plaque honoring the family will be added in May, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open the butterfly meadow.
“We would like to sincerely thank Dana Chapman for all her hard work creating the design of the butterfly meadow and the many volunteers that made this project possible,” park naturalist Susan Matthews said.
For information on this project, call Catoctin Creek Nature Center at 301-600-2050 or visit catoctincreek.blogspot.com. The public is invited to visit the new butterfly meadow this spring. The park is at 2929 Sumantown Road.
