The Friends Enrichment Program of Moorestown (FEP) hosted its annual Monarch Butterfly Workshop on Sept. 20 in the D’Olier Room at the Moorestown Friends Meetinghouse, marking another year of the beloved educational and interactive tradition presented by Glenn Curtis, a passionate environmentalist and nature enthusiast.
The room was adorned with monarch butterfly-themed decorations and tables with light food and drinks for attendees to enjoy before FEP co-chair Maria Esche spoke briefly about the program and Daniel Begg, son of FEP founder Monique Begg, introduced the guest of honor.
In front of an audience of all ages and working alongside his dedicated helpers Sue Evans and her daughter Willow, Curtis captivated the crowd by detailing the monarch’s incredible metamorphosis and complex life cycle.
The presentation team brought extensive local expertise to the event, especially Willow, who designed and built a beautiful pollinator habitat with her family at the Dr. James Still Historic Office Site in Medford as part of her Girl Scout Silver Award project.
Set against a vibrant backdrop of live caterpillars, milkweed, chrysalises and trifolds with photographs taken by Begg, Curtis and his assistants used colorful props and invited enthusiastic audience volunteers to bring the presentation to life. Together, they highlighted the ecological importance of these crucial pollinators and the steep environmental challenges that monarch butterflies currently face.
The highly anticipated event offered attendees a rare, hands-on opportunity to explore the world of monarchs up close, as they asked questions and were able to gently hold caterpillars and butterflies during various stages of their development.
Curtis started growing one milkweed plant in his backyard with his then six year old son Sean in 2008. Now, there are hundreds of descendants of that plant, drawing monarchs to his garden each year.
Curtis is concerned about the future of monarch butterflies, whose numbers have been declining at an alarming rate in recent years. He encourages others to grow milkweed in the hope of helping them increase their reproduction rate and continue the survival of their species.
The workshop culminated in a breathtaking grand finale as the crowd followed Curtis and his team outside into the autumn air for a live butterfly release. Witnessing the newly emerged monarchs take flight provided a moving conclusion to the afternoon, inspiring the community to support local conservation efforts and protect the path of these beautiful creatures for generations to come.
FEP is a Quaker-based volunteer program with a mission to help financially disadvantaged Moorestown children by providing them with scholarship opportunities and life-enhancing activities at no cost to their parents. Since its founding by Monique almost 30 years ago, the program has given out more than 1,200 scholarships to over 500 children.
To learn more about FEP or to donate to keep the program thriving, visit https://moorestownfriendsmeeting.org/friends-enrichment/.
The highly anticipated event offered attendees like seven year old Sadie Jimenez a rare, hands-on opportunity to explore the world of monarchs up close.
The Friends Enrichment Program of Moorestown (FEP) hosted its annual Monarch Butterfly Workshop on Sept. 20, marking another year of the beloved educational and interactive tradition.
