Parks program raises butterfly awareness

Melissa Eikenberry, adorned with sticks in her bright yellow dress and insect pupa in her pockets, explained the benefits of using native plants with deep roots, milkweed and how to prepare seeds for gardens to attract butterflies at the final installment of the first season of indoor parks programs in Laketown Township.

“When I discovered butterflies, when I discovered caterpillars, it changed everything,” she said to the about 15 people at the Carriage House at the Felt Estate on Saturday, April 26, 2025.

The free event was sponsored by the Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission with the cooperation of the Friends of the Felt Estate which provided the facility and technology at no charge.

Eikenberry is the founder of Hosting Butterflies based in Twin Lake in Muskegon County.

She handed out the pupa – a stage in insect development – to audience members to remind them to be aware of nature around them.

And the sticks in her dress and in her hair? They’re a way to be kind to insects while becoming comfortable with nature.

“They remind me that nature is everywhere,” she said.

“It shows one or two small changes you can make in your landscape to help,” said Elizabeth McEwen, executive director of the Felt Estate.

The indoor events started in January with a hands-only CPR course led by the Graafschap Fire Department. In February, more than 70 people packed the Carriage House to talk wild mushroom identification. In March, invasive species identification and management took center stage.

The parks commission is planning events for next year.

For more information on Laketown Township parks, visit here.