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SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Nature has its own fireworks display during the summer, as butterflies become more common, splashing their vibrant colors upon the flowers and fields of Southborough.
In Pictures: Butterfly Walk In Southborough
In partnership with the Southborough Open Land Foundation, Stephen Moore, president of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, and the foundation's Freddie Gillespie led a walk through the Beals Preserve on Sunday to get a close-up look at one of the most beautiful insects.
Click here to view the photo gallery.
"We should call them ‘sunflies,’ because they're out when the sun's out," Moore said.
About this time of year, the females lay eggs on plants, which the caterpillars, when they hatch, will eat.
There are about 100 species of butterfly in Massachusetts, said Moore. A few of those species were seen during Sunday's walk, including the Monarch, whose migration over generations takes it to Mexico and back, orange and clouded sulfurs, the common cabbage white–an invasive species, and the pearl crescent.
Moore, who is a lawyer in his professional life, said he is attracted to butterflies by their array of colors, and has trekked as far as the Yukon to view them
"They're dancing flowers," Gillespie said. "They're beautiful and free. More than that, they're an indicator of the overall health of the environment."
For more information about the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, visit the organization's website. Information on the Southborough Open Land Foundation can be found at its website.
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