November 14, 2025

As powerful pollinators, butterflies are imperative for the growth of flowers, trees and crops. Unfortunately, they are becoming rarer around the world as populations dwindle due to deforestation, pesticide use and weather extremes.

To help rebuild their numbers, FirstEnergy’s Green Teams partnered with several organizations to sponsor, support and participate in local community release events – releasing butterflies into the wild in hopes to increase and foster their growth as a species.

In New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania, employees made an impact in the following ways:

• JCP&L Green Team members partnered with Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore to release three-dozen painted lady butterflies at Manalapan Recreation Center’s eco patio pollinator garden. Volunteers were Alix Hayes, Community Involvement Consultant, Wesley Martorana, Vegetation Management Specialist III, Annette Kavanagh, Transmission Specialist IV, and Anne Pilot, Customer Services Representative III.

• Ohio Edison’s team partnered with Lake Erie Islands Nature & Wildlife Center to participate in Put-in-Bay’s second annual Monarch Fest. Employees helped release 12 painted lady butterflies, donated by FirstEnergy, into the wild along with another nearly 30 monarch butterflies. Prior to the event, FirstEnergy had donated butterfly rearing kits to The Nature & Wildlife Center that included monarch larvae, commonly known as caterpillars. From those kits, the Center was able to raise the monarchs that were released at this year’s event. Volunteers included Kelly Moomaw, Analyst III, Jil Wynn, Advanced Business Analyst, and Matt Albright, Legal Specialist IV.

• For the second consecutive year, Toledo Edison’s Green Team supported Toledo Zoo’s Monarch Tag and Release event by donating 21 monarchs. The butterflies were tagged for identification and released to the wild by the zoo. The zoo’s tagging program allows scientists to collect data on the butterflies throughout their lifecycle. Trina Myers, Customer Account Specialist V, volunteered at the event.

• Transmission Green Team members sponsored 10 monarchs for Westmoreland Garden Council’s annual release event held at LeFevre Butterfly Garden, where participants released more than 200 butterflies. Employees Julie Sofaly, Manager, Transmission Protection, and Brandy Pesi, Supervisor Transmission Engineering Design, helped the cause.