The beauty of nature and butterflies will be on full display when people of all ages enjoy the Watershed Insitute’s annual Butterfly Festival.
The annual festival returns for its 23rd consecutive year this weekend at the Watershed Reserve in Hopewell Township from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 5
The event is free for Watershed members, but for non-members it will be $10 per person or $25 a carload (up to six people), according to The Watershed Institute website.
People who attend the festival will be able to participate in tours of the Kate Gorrie Butterfly House, which was originally opened in 2000 and features native plants – milkweed and aster species.
Tours during the festival are also taking place for the Insect Zoo.
Adults and children are going to be able to learn through hands-on exhibits about protecting waterways and the Watershed’s efforts.
Additionally, children can take part in the “Butterfly and Bug Parade” and nature themed crafts. There will be a children’s play zone and live music performed by Cold Soil Drifters & Friends.
There will be three sessions during the day where children, residents and families get to watch animal shows featuring the Eyes of the Wild and Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge.
In past Butterfly Festivals, adults and children learned about tiny critters who populate streams; the impact of human activities on the environment; and the need to protect rivers, lakes and streams.
Previous educational hands-on exhibits included carefully touching minnows with wet hands and explored the underwater world with microscopes.
For more information about the annual Butterfly Festival and to pre-register, visit www.thewatershed.org.