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Butterfly Blitz

Butterflies are not only beautiful insects but essential pollinators in healthy habitats. They have an important role to help us monitor ecosystem health. They flourish where nature does.

Join us for the annual Butterfly Blitz program, hosted in partnership with The Riverwood Conservancy. This citizen science program will create a watershed-wide inventory of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed.

Local environmental enthusiasts and residents can learn how to identify different butterfly species in their neighbourhoods and contribute findings to the program.

Data will help us learn about local butterfly populations and identify trends over time. Once established, the Butterfly Blitz database will provide valuable insight to help protect and restore wildlife habitat in the Credit River Watershed.

Why are butterflies important?

  • Butterflies help biodiversity. As caterpillars, they feed on a single species or closely-related plants. Plants evolve defenses to avoid being eaten and caterpillars adapt to overcome them. The continuing battle causes more species variation and lead to greater biodiversity.
  • Butterflies are ecological indicators and can be useful for monitoring ecosystem health and restoration success. Areas rich in butterflies are generally rich in other invertebrates. This provides a wide range of environmental benefits including pollination and natural pest control.
  • Butterflies are an important food source for many species, including other insects, birds, mammals and fish.
  • Butterflies have been used by ecologists as model organisms to study the impacts of habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change.
  • Populations of butterflies and other insects face numerous threats and are declining worldwide. But, we still don’t know enough about most of them to assess the extent of the decline. We need more data!

 

Join our iNaturalist Project and submit photo observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed. Observations are welcome between May and September from anywhere: public parks, school grounds, your own property, gardens, fields and forests in watershed.

Data collected will be used for:

  • range mapping (tracking their locations)
  • first and last detections
  • variety of species
  • identifying rare species;

Not an expert? Not a problem! Anyone can contribute to iNaturalist, 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!

Join us during our kick-off event on Saturday, May 30, 2020 for more information and other helpful ‘field’ tips for your adventures ahead! Also, check-out the amazing resources below to learn more about butterflies and venturing outdoors.

Participation Level

1. Caterpillar

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project
  • Attend the kick-off training event on May 30, 2020
  • Submit observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist
  • There’s no commitment to number of surveys required

2. Pupa

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project
  • Attend the kick-off training event on May 30, 2020
  • Submit your observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist
  • Commit to four timed surveys, with effort and abundance recorded
  • Submit timed survey observations to eButterfly
  • A free butterfly net is given to the first 15 participants

3. Butterfly

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project 
  • Optional attendance at the kick-off training event on May 30, 2020
  • Submit observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist
  • Commit to four timed surveys, with effort and abundance recorded
  • Submit timed survey observations to eButterfly
  • Participate in the official NABA butterfly count on June 27, 2020
  • A free butterfly net is given to the first 15 participants


iNaturalist app:

Identification and biology:


Local insect and naturalist groups:


Insect conservation:

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