Butterfly release part of celebration of Glade Run Lake
MIDDLESEX TWP — More than 50 butterflies took to the skies above Glade Run Lake on Saturday, Aug. 1, as people honored their loved ones through a butterfly release at the second annual Celebrate the Lake event.
At the event, hosted by the Glade Run Lake Conservancy, participants could make a $6 donation to the conservancy to dedicate a butterfly to a loved one and release it by the lake shore.
Rachel Tritch dedicated her family’s butterfly to her father. Tritch said she participated in the release because butterflies hold a special meaning to her family.
“Every time we see butterflies, we think of him,” Tritch said.
In addition to the butterfly release, Celebrate the Lake also included multiple vendors, including Stick City Brewery, as well as live music. The event also featured a booth where people could learn more about the lake and environmental conservation.
The event raises funds for the Glade Run Lake Conservancy, which focuses on protecting Glade Run Lake.
Glade Run Lake Conservancy board member Christina Handley said the conservancy started Celebrate the Lake to inform the public about Glade Run Lake and the conservancy’s mission.
“A lot of people don’t know that it exists here, so we wanted to bring people out, celebrate, let them know what our mission is and just have a good time,” Handley said.
Since starting in 2011 to raise funds to refill the lake, the conservancy’s mission has since shifted to preserving the lake and its watershed.
The butterfly release was a new addition to the second annual Celebrate the Lake and according to Handley, it was a success.
The organization sold more than 50 butterflies and raised more than $300.
In addition to raising funds to conserve the lake, the butterfly release also restored the local butterfly population and gave the donors a special experience, according to Handley.
“I just feel like that is such a beautiful experience,” Handley said.
Handley said because the butterfly release was so successful, the conservancy plans to continue doing butterfly releases at future Celebrate the Lake events.
