Celebrating nature with Eco-fest, Butterfly release
Published 3:02 pm Friday, May 2, 2025
Hundreds of nature lovers made their way to Shangri-La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange Saturday for the Garden's annual Eco-Fest Celebration and Butterfly Release. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Phebe Mize,2 and Molly Jensen,6, enjoy creating watercolor butterflies with their fingerprints. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Adaline Gaylord,3, is mesmerized watching a colony of bees build their home.(Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Sandra Simmons enjoys a day with her son, Sal Simmons, as they tour the Gardens before the first of the butterflies release. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Aubrie Riggall,11, gets creative with bubbles. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Hayley Haldiman and Rylee Carlson,10, join the market with their freshly made breads, organic products and beautiful artwork. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Eager kids quench their thirst with Mr. Wilson's freshly squeezed lemonade. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
The Slocum family purchases locally sourced honey from Christie Ray's "Queen Bee Supply. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
Families and friends eagerly gather together for their opportunities to release Painted Lady butterflies. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
The Garden's staff hand out orange slices for the newly awakened butterflies to have a good burst of energy to begin their journey through life. (Randy Strong/Special to the Leader)
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Hundreds of nature lovers made their way to Shangri-La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange Saturday for the Garden’s annual Eco-Fest Celebration and Butterfly Release.
“The annual butterfly release has been a part of Shangri-La since 2008 and it encourages families to engage with nature,” Executive Director Angie Mason said. “What’s more fun than that?”
As Shangri-La guests make their way to designated areas for the beginning of the day’s main event, employees from the butterfly release sponsor, Entergy, readied the boxes filled with thousands of envelopes filled with small, hibernating lifeforms. After a brief discussion on the release procedure
and starting with the children, small envelopes were handed out by Garden personnel along with a small piece of orange for a butterfly sugar rush. Organizers encouraged the envelope holders to find a place in the gardens to release the envelope’s delicate and precious contents. Throughout the day 4,000 Painted Butterflies were successfully released into the world to begin their journey through life.
Honoring Earth Day, Shangri-La ‘s Eco-Fest also allows families from all walks of life an opportunity to dive into hands-on, self guided activities and games designed for all ages. Attendees also enjoyed exploring the vendor market featuring hand crafted arts and unique, eco-friendly products and sustainable goods that support the planet as well as local artisans. Throughout the market locally made treats and freshly squeezed lemonade was available for purchase. Representatives from the Orange, West Orange and Pinehurst animal shelters could also be found at the front entrance accepting donations of pet food and supplies as well as answering any pet questions.
Throughout the day volunteers and guests alike come together as a community to enjoy hours of fun, learning, “oh wow” moments and a creative commitment to a greener future.
