The Annual Butterfly Release is returning to Huron Hospice for its 8th year. On Sunday, August 25th at 2pm, people will release butterflies and remember loved ones during a ceremony at Huron Hospice Bender House. The butterfly symbolizes transformation, making this event special for Huron County families.
Manager of Fund Development at Huron Hospice, Christopher Walker, told us the symbolism behind releasing the butterflies.
Huron Hospice will livestream the event from Bender House and broadcast it on YouTube and social media. They are currently selling Painted Lady Butterflies for $40, Butterfly Bushes for $38, and Black-Eyed Susans and Purple Coneflowers for $25. These plants are important for pollination and are great additions to any garden. The deadline to order butterflies as a way to honour a loved one is tomorrow, August 1st.
Painted Lady Butterflies are bred in a certified facility near Peterborough, Ontario. The perennial plants ordered this summer will be ready for planting in the spring, with flowers blooming in time for butterflies and bees by spring and summer 2025.
Walker told myFM news when and where the release is set to happen.
The International Butterfly Breeders Association (IBBA) ensures butterfly releases are safe when done correctly. Their research shows that captive butterflies retain their instinct to migrate, and their release does not harm the gene pool of wild populations. Shipping policies are in place to prevent butterflies from dying during transport. Families can also pick up the butterflies and release them at an important place to their family.
Written by: K. Milhomens
