Berkeley College Database Manager Spearheads Effort to Establish Garret Mountain Reservation Butterfly Garden and Restore Biodiversity in Passaic County
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Senior Associate, Media Relations
973-200-1048
Chanel-Donaldso@BerkeleyCollege.edu
Photo Caption: Christine Toth, Berkeley College Database Manager, and Trustee, Friends of Garret Mountain (above, left), led a project to establish a 30-by-80-foot butterfly garden in Garret Mountain Reservation, located in Woodland Park, NJ (above, right), which was officially opened with a garland-cutting ceremony held on July 14, 2021. Friends of Garret Mountain, a collective dedicated to the preservation, protection and enhancement of the natural beauty of Garret Mountain and Rifle Camp Park, collaborated with Bergen County Audubon Society, Passaic County, and City Green on the butterfly garden. Toth established her first butterfly garden at Berkeley College’s nearby Woodland Park campus more than two years ago and later began working with Friends of Garret Mountain on creating a garden as a personal passion project after becoming inspired about butterfly gardening from presentations by Bergen County Audubon Society. She described butterfly gardening as a technique that cultivates native plants, or species indigenous to a local area. “Butterflies have evolved with native plants for thousands or more years. They depend on them being native (for survival),” said Toth, who also noted that butterflies and other insects assist with pollination and are essential for food production. Additionally, butterfly gardens provide a supplemental food source for many species of birds who depend on caterpillars as part of their diet. The garden in Garret Mountain Reservation is expected to attract the endangered monarch butterfly and other varieties like black swallowtails, spicebush swallowtails, and wild indigo duskywings, as well as varieties of moths and praying mantis. It has been certified as a wildlife garden by the Bergen County Audubon Society and as a butterfly habitat by the North American Butterfly Association. “Passaic County is really unique in the state of New Jersey … We talk about diversity all the time. It is not just racial diversity, it is not just ethnic diversity, it is a true habitat diversity,” said Assad R. Akhter, Passaic County Commissioner.
Photo Caption: (From left) Jasmine Moreano, Director, Community Outreach and Advocacy, City Green; Passaic County Commissioners Cassandra “Sandi” Lazzara, John W. Bartlett, Esq., holding the Garret Mountain Reservation’s Butterfly Garden Certification from the North American Butterfly Association, and Assad R. Akhter; Christine Toth, Database Manager, Berkeley College, and Trustee, Friends of Garret Mountain; Fred Pfeifer, Trustee, Friends of Garret Mountain; Ramon Perez, Member, Friends of Garret Mountain; Greg Moore, Manager, Passaic County Parks and Grounds; and Vera Lazar, President, Friends of Garret Mountain participate in a garland-cutting ceremony to officially open the Garret Mountain Reservation butterfly garden on July 14, 2021.
Photo Caption: (Left) Native plants, species indigenous to the local area, and (right) a description of butterflies that will be attracted to these plants, at the Garret Mountain Reservation butterfly garden on July 14, 2021.
Berkeley College celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2021. The theme commemorating this milestone is “Empowering Lives for 90 Years!” Visit the 90th Anniversary webpage for more information.
About Berkeley College
Berkeley College, founded in 1931, is a career-focused institution accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education that offers students Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Associate’s degree and Certificate programs in more than 20 career fields. The College also offers continuing education programs to enhance career credentials.
Berkeley College has campuses in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge, and Woodland Park, NJ, as well as in Midtown Manhattan and White Plains, NY, with more than 4,900 students enrolled. In addition, Berkeley College Online® serves a global population. U.S. News & World Report has named Berkeley College among the Best Colleges for Online Bachelor’s Programs and among the Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans, for eight consecutive years. The website address is www.BerkeleyCollege.edu.
The mission of Berkeley College is to empower students to achieve lifelong success in dynamic careers.
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