Butterflying
With a glass of white wine gently sweating in my hand and the sun setting showing off its vibrant hues of violet and rose, I was enthralled with our friends’ magnificent flower garden on Fire Island.
My dear friends mindfully and lovingly created this space to support the monarch butterfly preservation movement. Such a joyously alive space, I could not stop smiling. I felt compelled to recreate this, especially since monarchs had just been added to the endangered species list that summer.
So how does a girl with absolutely no experience and no space on her own property make this happen?
She uses someone ELSE’S land!
And with nothing but passion and resolve, she promised her community that she would create and maintain a gorgeous monarch sanctuary from start to finish at absolutely no cost to them.
THE PROCESS
It came together like I was writing a symphony as though it had already been divinely orchestrated and someone was whispering it into life. I was at our community beach and all the people needed to help the project get underway were there at the same time.
The PERFECT spot was just waiting – the ideal amount of sunlight, majestic view of the lake, centrally located so everyone could enjoy and experience it as they walked by. Each person I asked to become involved in the project couldn’t do enough to make it happen. They went above and beyond and in six short weeks, the High Crest Lake Butterfly Sanctuary was planned AND PLANTED!
Blessings upon blessings...
Donations continued to find us and we were able to add botanical garden-grade signage and make it an educational centerpiece for our community. When the time came to keep it watered during one of the hottest, rain-free summers in years, the club members came together taking turns, sometimes twice a day. They even went so far as to send me pictures and thank me for the experience!
Almost seems too good to be true, right? Well, when you tap into joyful living and make it your mission to help others experience joy as well, magical things can happen!
“When the spirit of nature touches us, our hearts turn into a butterfly!” — Mehmet Murat Ildan
~ High Crest Lake Butterfly Sanctuary ~
Located within a private lake community in northern New Jersey
Abounds with a colorful variety of perennials that serve as both nectar and shelter for monarchs, as well as a wide variety of butterflies, bees, birds, and blooms from March until frost. This gorgeous sanctuary strengthens the ecosystem of the neighborhood by attracting pollinators and providing many food sources for their survival.
Beautifully landscaped and maintained by The Butterfly Flutter, a club for members and a source of education for the residents. When you visit, you will see that the plants have been labeled so that year-round we are able to identify them and watch them grow.
As a certified monarch waystation (#37281), we are proud to contribute to monarch conservation by providing a safe place throughout their annual cycle of reproduction and North American migration.
LET ME HELP YOU...
TURN YOUR YARD INTO A BUTTERFLY MAGNET
Come learn how to attract more of these winged angels to your space at a class near you OR invite me to share with your friends, group, or club! We will chat about everything from the soil to the flowers you’ll need and everything in between!
CREATE YOUR OWN
BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY
Do you want to be a part of something bigger? Are you interested in the preservation effort to make an impact on butterflies for our future generations? Learn how to cultivate a beautiful environment where butterflies and caterpillars can live and grow and multiply!
BUTTERFLYING IN THE NORTHEAST
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