About 25 years ago, Russ Delaney got the “bug” for butterfly conservation as a volunteer with Oscar Scherer State Park, where he raised Monarch caterpillars and showed children how to release them into the wild. Now, he’s sharing his passion for nature with fellow members who volunteer their time to tend the Butterfly Garden at The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch.
“Turns out, there’s not much difference between releasing butterflies with seven- and eight-year-olds and releasing butterflies with 70- and 80-year-olds,” he says. “When you put a butterfly into someone’s hand and let them release it, that’s something really special.”
For many years, Russ used a custom-made cage stocked with milkweed to raise Monarch caterpillars found in the wild. Originally, he kept it up as a solo hobby – but when he invited other members to join the butterfly releases, interest soon spread.
“People started saying, ‘How can I get involved? What can I do to help?’” he recalls. “The only thing I needed was milkweed – and all of a sudden, I had tons of it and needed a place to put it. So we set up a garden.”
In the program’s first year, member volunteers raised and released more than 350 butterflies of several different species. Since then, many visiting butterflies have been spotted in the area, including Zebra Longwings, Gulf Fritillaries, and Cloudless Sulphurs. Additionally, the North American Butterfly Association has certified the Glenridge Butterfly Garden as a resource that increases the world’s population of butterflies by raising essential host plant species without pesticides.
“It really was a case of ‘if you build it, they will come,’” says Russ. “We already have gardens where members grow flowers, vegetables, and orchids – and the butterfly garden augments that in a different way. My hope is that it becomes a beautiful, self-sustaining place here at The Glenridge and continues to grow into one of the more beautiful attractions on campus.”
From the lush 150-acre campus to the vibrant array of member-driven programs and activities, the Glenridge ecosystem gives you more ways to flourish – indoors and out. Send us a message or give our Life Planning Team a call at 941-552-5369 to schedule your personal tour.
Or, to learn more about what life is like at The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch – once again named the best senior living community in Sarasota (for the 16th year in a row!) – visit our other blog posts or find us on Facebook.