Walk Among Butterflies At Upcoming Chester Event

CHESTER, NJ — New Jersey Conservation Foundation will hold two free butterfly walks at Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center this summer as part of its Coffee & Conservation series of morning educational events.

The walks are scheduled for Friday, July 10, and Friday, Aug. 7, at 170 Longview Road in Chester Township. Each event begins at 9:30 a.m. with coffee from Black River Roasters and a brief conversation about butterfly species that participants may spot.

The group will then take a leisurely walk through the meadows of Bamboo Brook with experts from the North American Butterfly Association. The walks are expected to end by about 11:30 a.m.

“This is a great opportunity to enjoy a cup of coffee, learn about New Jersey’s incredible diversity of butterflies, and take a walk in a beautiful setting,” said Bill Lynch, organizer of the Coffee & Conservation series, which also includes spring and fall bird walks.

According to the foundation, butterfly species spotted on previous walks have included monarchs, eastern tiger swallowtails, coral hairstreaks, great spangled fritillaries, summer azures, little wood-satyrs, and silver-spotted skippers. The events are free and open to the public, though advance registration is requested for planning purposes.

Registration is available through New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s events calendar online here.

The foundation said walks are generally held rain or shine, but may be canceled in the event of heavy rain or lightning. People looking for more information about the butterfly and bird walks can contact Lynch at blynch@njconservation.org. More information about butterflies is also available through the North American Butterfly Association.

Bamboo Brook is owned by the Morris County Parks System and is home to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s main office. The 100-acre park includes wooded trails and open meadows, according to the foundation.

New Jersey Conservation Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, statewide organization focused on preserving land and protecting nature across New Jersey’s rural, suburban and urban landscapes.

According to the organization, it has preserved more than 140,000 acres of open space, farmland and parks since 1960, and also manages 17 nature preserves, runs public outreach and education programs, and advocates for land use and climate policies.