Butterfly Blitz

Share Your Butterfly Sightings

Join CVC’s Butterfly Blitz program! We invite you to share information about your butterfly sightings to helps us create an inventory of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed.

As a citizen scientist in the Butterfly Blitz program, you’ll learn how to identify butterfly species in your backyard and neighbourhood. You can take part on your own time. The data you collect will help us learn important information about local butterfly populations.

This project has a five-year lifespan, which began in 2019. As we gather more data from sightings, we can:

Understand where different species of butterflies can be found in the watershed
Determine which butterflies are locally rare or common
Understand if species are becoming more or less common over time

Get Involved

Become a citizen scientist and join the 2023 Butterfly Blitz!

Not an expert? Not a problem! Anyone can contribute to Butterfly Blitz, and it’s a great way to learn. If you already know a bit about butterflies or want to commit more time to the project, we’ve got options for that, too. Everyone is welcome!

This year’s Butterfly Blitz runs May 6 to September 16.

Participation Opportunities

To participate in the Butterfly Blitz program, complete the following steps.

Register for iNaturalist online. Create a profile using your email address, Facebook account or Google account.
Click on Community.
Select Projects. Search “CVC Butterfly Blitz 2023”.
Click Join.

This year we’re offering both in-person and online training. If you can’t join us in-person, you can watch a recorded version online. Training will help you understand the project goals and the expectations we have for your participation.

Online Training

Watch our Butterfly Blitz Training videos:

When you register, you will receive an online resource kit to help your research. This resource kit includes:

Notes from the training videos, including: How to Find Butterflies, How to Identify Butterflies, How to use iNaturalist, Butterfly Photography, and How to Conduct Timed Surveys and use eButterfly
Species identification resources
Grid square map showing where more butterfly observations are needed
Species checklist of the butterflies of the Credit River Watershed
Timed survey form to use alongside timed surveys

This resource kit is also available by request.

There are a few different research activities in which you may take part.

iNaturalist Project

Submit photo observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed on your own time. Observations are welcome between May 6 and September 16.

Location: Anywhere in the Credit River Watershed
Date: May 6 to September 16, 2023
Time: Self-directed (any-time)

Timed Surveys on eButterfly

To participate in this option, you’ll commit to completing four 15-minute butterfly surveys, on your own time, throughout the summer. You’ll submit your observations to CVC through the online platform eButterfly.

Location: Anywhere in the Credit River Watershed
Date: May 6 to September 16, 2023
Time: Self-directed (any time)

We offer guided events and training to learn more about butterflies how to participate.

Butterfly Blitz Kick-off Training and Hike

Join Credit Valley Conservation’s Butterfly Blitz team for a guided butterfly hike and optional training. Optional training will include how to ID butterflies, how to use iNaturalist, ebutterfly or other helpful tips for your adventures ahead. Register now.

Location: Terra Cotta Conservation Area, 14452 Winston Churchill Blvd, Halton Hills, ON L7G 0N9

Date: Saturday, June 3, 2023

Time: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants must arrive on time to take part but are able to leave throughout the day and are not required to stay the full 2.5 hours.

Butterfly Count

Join us on Saturday, July 15th for CVC’s annual one-day butterfly count. During this event we will identify and count all the butterfly species found at Warwick Conservation Centre. The data we collect is an official butterfly census and will be submitted to the North American Butterfly Association for publication in their annual report. Register now.

Location: Warwick Conservation Centre, 15526 Heart Lake Rd, Caledon Village, ON L7C 2J9

Date: Saturday, July 15, 2023

Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants must arrive on time to take part but are able to leave throughout the day and are not required to stay the full 4 hours.

At our wrap-up event, we’ll:

Provide an overview of the findings
Celebrate some of the best finds and photos from the year
Hand out prizes to participants in several categories (e.g. most observations, most species, etc.)

The celebration will be followed by a walk and butterfly survey in the surrounding natural areas– a known hot spot for migratory butterflies at this time of year.

Learn about the biology, identification and habits of butterflies in our area, all while spending time enjoying nature.
Contribute data to help guide the protection and restoration of habitat in the Credit River Watershed.
Receive links to a registration package full of great resources, including:
- Butterflies of Southern and Eastern Ontario fold out pocket guide
- Local butterfly species checklist
- Butterfly identification resources
- Map of areas in need of butterfly observations
- Weekly updates in the iNaturalist project with a chance to have your observation featured as the Observation of the Week.