The Nature Center of Cape May held its annual Monarch Festival on September 30th and it was the biggest one yet! Folks across our region continue to get excited about the iconic butterfly and show up eager to learn and explore. Over 1,000 monarch enthusiasts attended the event this year.
The festival kicked off with a butterfly-themed yoga practice overlooking the Cape May Harbor. Throughout the day, staff and volunteers from the Cape May Bird Observatory and Monarch Monitoring Project educated visitors about monarch migration and conducted tagging demonstrations of live butterflies. Guests are always excited at the opportunity to help release the tagged monarchs and watch them flutter up to the sky. Children made a variety of monarch-themed crafts and participated in our parade at the end of the festival. While in the parade, young and young at heart wore monarch wings and antennae, flew butterfly kites, and tossed milkweed seeds like natural confetti as they wished the monarchs farewell.
Local artists and authors were on site with their nature-based and sustainably-crafted pieces. Guests enjoyed live music, food trucks, and shopping for monarch gear in our nature shop. There was rain in the forecast but the “Cape May bubble” worked it’s magic and provided a beautiful day.
Monarch Fest would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of volunteers. This event is truly special. It brings our community together to celebrate something we can all agree is amazing…the epic journey of a beautiful butterfly.
By Emily Reed
Program Director
NJ Audubon’s Nature Center of Cape May
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