NORTH BRUNSWICK – Elmwood Cemetery held its fifth annual monarch butterfly release on Aug. 24. The migratory insects will take a 3,000-mile odyssey to Mexico, which takes many generations to complete one cycle, according to Eleanor Molloy, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Association.
“Butterflies are a symbol of endurance, of change, of new hope, of transformation,” she said.
Elmwood is a Victorian Garden Cemetery founded in 1868. The founders designed a cemetery where a beautiful landscaped park would create a respite from expanding cities, according to Molloy. Because of their vision, Elmwood is a preserve of 50 acres of native trees and shrubs, a home to many birds and wildlife.
The cemetery’s garden has been certified as a Monarch Waystation and a North American butterfly garden and was created to provide milkweeds and nectar sources for butterflies native to New Jersey, particularly the monarch butterfly, Molloy said.
The butterfly release was symbolic, offered as a memorial for those who have passed.
“We remember those we’ve loved and lost and think about … how we endure,” she said.
For more information, visit www.theelmwoodcemetery.com.
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Eleanor Molloy, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Association, readies the monarch butterflies for release at the North Brunswick cemetery on Aug. 24.▲
Monarch butterflies are carefully enclosed in paper envelopes prior to their release for a migratory journey to Mexico.▲
Eleanor Molloy, left, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Association, readies the monarch butterflies for release at the North Brunswick cemetery on Aug. 24.▲
Eleanor Molloy, right, president of the Elmwood Cemetery Association, readies a monarch butterfly for release by Antoinette Marchetta of New Brunswick at the North Brunswick cemetery on Aug. 24.▲
Residents participated in a release of monarch butterflies at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick on Aug. 24.▲
Antoinette Marchetta of New Brunswick releases a monarch butterfly during a special event at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick on Aug. 24.▲
Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick is a Certified Monarch Waystation.▲
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Residents participated in a release of monarch butterflies at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick on Aug. 24.▲
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Nancy Adotta, one of the butterfly ambassadors for the Monarch Waystation at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick, hosts a visitor during a butterfly release event at Elmwood on Aug. 24.▲
Residents participated in a release of monarch butterflies at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick on Aug. 24.▲
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The Butterfly Garden at Elmwood Cemetery in North Brunswick▲
