MORE than 250 students from AJ McLellan Elementary School participated in the eighth annual Butterfly Release Celebration on Tuesday at Surrey Centre Cemetery. 

The annual event is part of the Grade One lifecycle curriculum at AJ McLellan, educating students on the cycle of life. For weeks, 11 classrooms raised butterflies — from eggs to caterpillars to chrysalises to adult butterflies — and learned about their environmental impact before releasing them at the cemetery. 

Butterfly gardens effectively attract and sustain other insects and organisms. Their larvae provide food for birds, mammals and other wildlife. In return, those birds and mammals help keep gardens free from pests.

“The idea behind the event is to teach children about the cycle of life and enhance connections between the community and the neighbouring cemetery,” said Yalda Asadian, City of Surrey Manager of Community Enhancement. “This event opens up conversations around life and death – an important and sometimes neglected topic among parents and teachers.”

Visit Surrey Cemeteries online for more information.

Surrey Centre Cemetery is located at 16671 Old McLellan Road.