REGATTA BUTTERFLY RELEASE

PRESENTED BY OLIVER OUTDOOR

Our Sunday tradition fills the sky with the color and movement from one of nature’s most beautiful creatures, the Western Pennsylvania Monarch.

Experience the beauty and wonder of the Western Pennsylvania Monarch during our annual Butterfly Release at the Moraine State Park Regatta. Watch as the sky fills with the graceful flight of monarch butterflies – an unforgettable sight for all ages.

The mass butterfly release is free to attend, and no tickets are required. This mass release at 5:00 PM on Sunday serves as the celebratory closing of the Moraine State Park Regatta.

If you would like to release a butterfly in honor or memory of a loved one, you may pre-purchase an individual butterfly. These butterflies can be picked up at the Information Tent and released at your own pace in a designated area near the shoreline.

Why do we do the Native Butterfly Release?

“Our state parks in Pennsylvania conserve nearly 300,000 acres of lands for the public to enjoy in many ways, but humans are not the only ones to benefit. Moraine’s 16,725 acres provides habitat for many wild animal species. Monarch butterflies, whose population across North America has alarmingly decreased, are dependent upon the milkweed plant. There are four species of milkweed native to PA, and we have introduced each of them in areas of the Moraine and encourage their natural reproduction. Here at the park, we have five areas specifically managed to promote native wildflowers, such as milkweed. Volunteers and partner groups working with park staff have prepared ground, sown seed, and managed these areas to encourage milkweed and other native plants to provide not only educational messages and enjoyment, but to serve as habitat for resident populations, and provide way stations for migrating monarchs.”  — Natalie Simon, DCNR