Squash It!

This past May, Joy Kochar and 10 other students from P.S. 124 gathered in Columbus Park, in New York City. They set up a table with lemonade, cookies, and origami figures for sale. They were hoping to raise money for their school to address a big problem: Spotted lanternflies had recently infested the area. 

RAISING FUNDS Joy and her team sell cookies and lemonade to raise money.

But the kids struggled to get attention. “We were staying close to our area,” Joy, 10, told TIME for Kids. So they talked louder, and carried signs for their fundraiser around the park. Passersby took notice.

The goal was to raise $200. That was the cost of the equipment the kids needed to capture lanternflies. They made about $75. So they decided to hold more fundraisers.

“If you find your voice,” Joy says, “you can do so much more.”

Bad Bugs

Spotted lanternflies are an invasive species. They’re native to China. Since 2014, they’ve been seen across the eastern United States. The insects are harmful to many plants. They can disturb entire ecosystems. State officials have urged people to kill lanternflies.

INVADERS The spotted lanternfly is an invasive species. To help the environment, officials instruct people to kill them.

Joy saw the pests in her school courtyard. She had to do something. So she started a club called Squash. Its mission is to kill lanternflies around the school. More than 20 students have joined.

TEAMWORK Joy’s lanternfly-stomping club is called Squash. It’s made up of more than 20 students.

At first, they trapped the pests in empty water bottles. Then they squashed them. In a single day, the club killed more than a hundred lanternflies.

A Better Way

Joy wanted to do more. With research, she discovered a plant called milkweed. It’s a nutritious food for pollinators such as monarch butterflies. But it’s toxic to lanternflies. Joy decided that using milkweed would be a better way to kill the bugs.

TRAPPED Squash raises money for environmentally friendly bug traps.

Eventually, the fundraisers paid off. Squash raised $197. That was enough to buy milkweed and other traps. The school’s sustainability coordinator purchased the traps. At recess, Squash members set them up on trees around the park.

The effort would not have been a success without teamwork. “I learned that two minds are better than one,” Joy says. “Initially, I just wanted this to be an individual project. But when I decided to involve other students, I was amazed at how our progress increased.”

CLEANING UP Joy Kochar and her classmates help their school and community by addressing the infestation of spotted lanternflies.

Squash plans to hold more fundraisers, selling cider and pies. The money will be used to buy milkweed for next spring, when lanternflies begin to hatch.

Feeling Inspired?

Next month, we’ll feature kids who are helping others feel better. Could you be one of them? Click here for ideas on how you can plan a service project that improves the well-being of your community.