Star Power: Bristol Joseph

Meet Service Star Bristol Joseph, 13. When Bristol was 11, she started the Magical Milkweed Market, growing and selling milkweed, an important food source for monarch caterpillars. TFK Kid Reporter Hanming Wang spoke with Bristol about her efforts.

What inspired you to start helping monarch butterflies?

I grew up in a family that was very interested in gardening and being outdoors. My mom and I found out that the monarch butterfly population was declining, so we decided we wanted to help. We did some research, and found out that milkweeds are the only plants that monarch caterpillars eat. So we decided to start selling it to help the monarchs.

Tell us about your project.

I grow the milkweed plants, and people plant them in their yards. Then more butterflies are able to find food.

I’ve been selling the milkweed plants around my community. I go to different kids’ festivals and other things like that. And I’ve won a few awards over the years that have helped me out with some money. One of the awards that I won made me a nonprofit.

What was the hardest part of getting started?

The hardest part was being able to get good business: to get a good group of people coming in and buying the plants. And advocating for myself and getting my work put out there.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned through this experience?

The most important thing I’ve learned is to keep working hard. Even if things aren’t going your way, keep working hard and continue to help the environment.

What are some small things that people can do at home to help butterflies?

People can plant milkweed and other native plants. They also need to make sure they’re planting the right milkweed for their area. Also, people should not use pesticides, because these can hurt the caterpillars and butterflies. People can also let a patch of grass grow to let native weeds and wildflowers grow.

Do you think kids can make a real impact, even with small actions?

I definitely believe that kids can make an amazing impact on the world. Even though we are kids, we can make a big impact. And if you have even a small idea, it can turn into something amazing. With the monarch butterflies, I didn’t know if many people would be interested in that, but there is a lot of interest.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.