Northvale adds passive rec area, butterfly garden to Veterans Memorial Park

NORTHVALE — Get your cameras ready, a butterfly garden is coming to the borough as part of the new passive recreation area at Veterans Memorial Park.

The 2020 Bergen County Open Space Grant awarded the borough $20,125, which will be used to install three teak benches with native plant species designed specifically to attract butterflies at the park off Clinton Avenue and west of the CSX railroad tracks and Tappan Road.

The project is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

"The contractor is just about ready to start work and expects to have all planting done and the three benches installed before the really cold weather begins," said Mayor Patrick Marana.

This passive park and garden are to be located on the north portion of the park just off the parking area near the Northeast section children's playground. In the past year, the 2021 Open Space Grant also awarded the borough $22,650, which was used for additional playground equipment, tables and benches.

The Beautification Committee has also created butterfly gardens at John L. Hogan Memorial Park and the current Veterans Memorial Park, which will serve as an addition to the upcoming recreation area to help the endangered Monarch population recover.

"We had requests to improve Veterans Park," said Marana. There wasn't a request for an expanded butterfly garden, but the borough and the DPW department have received positive comments regarding what has already been planted, he said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Northvale NJ adds butterfly garden to Veterans Memorial Park