Letters: Release butterflies where they can survive

The story about the butterfly release at the State House did not mention a butterfly garden where these beautiful creatures could find food (“Butterfly release to raise funds for ovarian cancer awareness,” Sept 15). Instead of a whisper, what may be heard is a scream of panic over the lack of food nearby.

The sponsor should have investigated an area more appropriate for this release, maybe Riverbanks Garden, or a butterfly garden elsewhere in Columbia. The master gardeners in Sumter maintain the butterfly garden at Swan Lake Iris Gardens, where host and larval foods are planted. Surely there is something similar in Columbia to allow the butterflies to continue their life cycle, rather than die in an urban setting.