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• • S H O R T S H O R T S
BUTTERFLIES TAKE FLIGHT AT AIRLIE
WHILE SEEING a butterfly can be a magi-cal
experience, guests at Airlie Gardens
can witness an even more breathtaking
occurrence — a butterfly’s first flight.
Every Tuesday from June through August, visitors
gather inside the 2,700-square-foot free standing butterfly
house to not only experience the pavilions more mature
resident, but be present as butterflies that have just
emerged from their chrysalises are released into the
pavilion.
Several different species are released each week includ-ing
monarchs, painted ladies, gulf fritillaries, and the state
butterfly, the eastern tiger swallowtail.
The butterfly house holds everything essential to the
insects’ survival, including a variety of native plants like
milkweed, which provide food and nesting space.
Before the butterflies are released, Airlie Gardens envi-ronmental
SIMON GONZALEZ A
education coordinator Alyssa Taylor talks about
the role of butterflies in the ecosystem and the impor-tance
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
of pollinators and native plants.
“It is necessary to teach others about butterflies’ role
in our lives,” Taylor says. “They are an essential part of a
healthy ecosystem. Our goal is to bring home the idea of
why we need them.” — Brooklyn Owens
Newly emerged butterflies, like this monarch, show no fear of humans.
Visitors to Airlie Gardens can attend a butterfly release and learn about the
insects’ role in the ecosystem and the importance of pollinators and native
plants every Tuesday through August.
NEW WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH PARK PLANNED
NEW oceanfront town park beside Johnnie Mercer’s Pier, featuring a playground, boardwalk, and
expanded bathroom facilities, could be ready for residents and tourists before the 2020 summer
season.
The Board of Aldermen approved a proposal for the Ocean Access Park in March 2018. On
July 10, Mayor Bill Blair announced the town had secured nearly $2 million to fund the project. The money is
coming from a mix of private and public funding, including approximately $500,000 from New Hanover County.
Wrightsville Beach Town Manager Tim Owens describes the project as “a full facelift of East and West Salisbury.”
“It’s badly needed,” Owens says. “The time is right. It definitely needs a facelift and more amenities.”
A concept plan provided by the town shows a raised boardwalk and beach overlook with swings and benches,
a beach playground area with climbing structures, a beach access park plaza, new streetlights, and an overall
greening up of the street in landscaping to frame the park and act as the focal point for Salisbury Street.
The plan will not reduce the number of available parking spaces, and they could possibly increase by a few.
Construction would begin after the 2019 summer season, with the facility complete before the start of the
2020 season. — Simon Gonzalez