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The Kate Gorrie Memorial Butterfly House opened in 2000 to honor the memory of Kate Gorrie, daughter of Meg and Tom Gorrie of Pennington, NJ. The Gorries are long-time board members and benefactors of the Association, and chose to honor Kate's life and her love for the beauty of nature by helping build a butterfly house. The open-air structure, located on the Stony Brook Millstone Reserve, is open from dawn to dusk every day from early May through early October.

The Butterfly House showcases native butterflies and the wildflowers with which they are associated. The garden inside simulates several typical habitats of central New Jersey – field, wetland, and wet meadow. Plants include those that are nectar sources for adults, and those that serve as food for caterpillars.

Black Swallowtail

The variety of plantings lends itself to a large variety of butterfly species that can live in the house. The collection in the house at any time depends on the time of year, the weather, and what is in bloom. Common butterflies to see include the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), Pearl Crescent (Phycoides tharos), and the Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala).

Pearl Crescent

Annually, the Association hosts a summer Butterfly Day for the public. Families, adults, and teens are invited to join as naturalists conduct tours of the Butterfly House and lead nature hikes in search of butterflies and caterpillars on the reserve. Other Butterfly Day festivities include face painting, games, educational lecture, a barbeque lunch, and much more.

Monarch

We work with Monarch Watch, a national organization for Monarch research and education. We rear Monarchs in the Butterfly House, then tag and release the fall generation to help gather migration data.