Education director and boro resident Jeff Hoagland, center, presenting the interactive Watershed texture map at the grand opening of the new $8.5 million Watershed Center last May.
By Meagan Douches
With new facilities set to offer even more nature-centered activities, the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed Association is gearing up for its biggest event of the season — the 15th Annual Butterfly Festival. A local favorite among kids and adults alike, the festival takes place Saturday, August 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year, the festival will include indoor exhibits in the new $8.5 million Watershed Center, in addition to outdoor activities and entertainment across the 930-acre reserve.
“It’s a good mix of fun and education,” said Jim Waltman, the executive director of the association. “We have talented acts of people. There’s great food, tours and this year we’ll be offering balloon rides.”
Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about sustainable environmental practices by touring the new facilities with Stony Brook Millstone staff members. Tours will include a visit to the renovated Kate Gorrie Butterfly House, where guests can observe and learn about the butterflies and fauna of central New Jersey.
“Butterflies are among the most fragile in nature,” Waltman said. “We hope people have fun and learn something while they’re here at the Butterfly Festival.”
The building protects native butterflies and the local plants that sustain them. The Butterfly House first opened in 2000 in honor of the late daughter of Pennington residents Meg and Tom Gorrie, who had a great appreciation for the beauty of nature. The Butterfly House was also renovated to include new and healthier plant life, more shade for protection and a new handicap accessible entrance for visitors.
Tours of the Butterfly House include information on the nectar and host plants in the reserve, the various types of butterflies that inhabit the house, and how to attract butterflies to your home garden.
Visitors can try to spot a Monarch, the most famous type of butterfly marked by its vibrant orange and black coloring, used to ward off predators. Monarchs arrive in New Jersey in late May and typically remain until fall when they begin a long journey of migration down south. During the warmer months, they can often be spotted visiting gardens and fields.
The Butterfly House also features the more lucrative Baltimore Checkerspot species native to the Northeast and Midwest marshland. These butterflies can be hard to find as their numbers seem to be dwindling, but festival visitors may be able to spot them feeding on Turtlehead plants in the closed-in butterfly sanctuary. Guests to the Watershed Association can also explore the field and practice catching butterflies with nets.
Stony Brook Millstone’s new programming places an emphasis on informing the community, especially the younger generation, about the local watershed and beneficial environmental practices.
The Watershed Center hosts various interactive exhibits including animal showcases, 3D maps, computer programs, informative videos, microscope labs and nature camps for high school students and younger children.
An interactive map in the building’s front entrance allows visitors to visualize the Stony Brook Millstone Watershed which covers 265 square miles through five counties: Mercer, Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Monmouth.
“Our goal is to protect water,” Waltman said. “Unfortunately, in a lot of places, water isn’t clean. We make improvements by educating people, through advocacy. We’re at planning committees working to pass stronger environmental laws and we have a science team for water testing.”
Stony Brook Millstone’s LEED Platinum Certified Watershed Center opened in May after 10 years of planning, fundraising and development by the board of trustees, Waltman and community members.
The building environment design features photovoltaic solar panels used to produce power and geothermal systems running 450 feet into the ground to help regulate inside temperature. The exterior of the building was also designed to control rain water runoff and features a green roof.
The Watershed center was made possible through community donations. Top beneficiaries include Betty W. Johnson, the Rita Allen Foundation and Meg and Tom Gorrie.
“We’re trying to teach the next generation,” Waltman said. “The new building is a teaching platform.”
The Watershed is working to get younger residents involved through its interactive programming and environmental science day camps. The association has seen a dramatic increase in camp participation with 450 attendants this summer.
Butterfly Festival attendants will have a chance to get an aerial view of the new Watershed facilities as well as the surrounding outdoor reserve on tethered balloon rides on Aug. 8. Rides will be $10 per person, free for children under three.
Admission to the festival includes an indoor planetarium show, magic shows and a drum and dance performance. The event will also feature live music by the Dadz, hula hoop dancing, rides, an insect zoo and the famous Butterfly and Bug Parade.
“There’s absolutely something for everyone,” Waltman said, “From arts and crafts for kids to facility tours and information on sustainability and the local environment for adults.”
Visitors to Stony Brook Watershed will be able to observe Hopewell’s plant and animal life in guided nature hikes around the reserve’s 10 miles of trails. Alternatively, there will be hayrides around the grounds for those who do not wish to hike.
The Watershed has also invited a diverse group of food vendors to attend the event: Antimos Pizza, Four Daughters Franks, Blossoms Catering (soul food), Brothers Moon, Mikonos Greek Food, Pura Vida tacos and quesadillas as well as Kona ice, cotton candy lemonade, ice cream and kettle corn food stands.
Tickets to the Butterfly Festival are $10 and can be purchased at thewatershed.org.
The Stony Brook Millstone Association Watershed Center is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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