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Butterfly Blitz

It’s not too late to join our project!

Become a participant today and submit observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist.

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.

This year Credit Valley Conservation and The Riverwood Conservancy are hosting the first Butterfly Blitz in the Credit River Watershed. This citizen science program will create a watershed-wide inventory of butterflies.

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 June 22 and August 24 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, June 22, 2019 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. Egg

  • Submit observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist
  • Registration isn’t required to participate in the iNaturalist Project
  • If you plan to attend the kick-off training event on June 22, 2019 you will need to register
  • You’re not included in the leaderboard contest
  • No pocket field guide provided

2. Caterpillar

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project
  • Attend the kick-off training event on June 22, 2019
  • Submit observations of butterflies in the Credit River Watershed to iNaturalist
  • There’s no commitment to number of surveys required
  • No recording of effort or abundance
  • You will be included in leaderboard contests
  • A pocket field guide is provided

3. Pupa

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project
  • Attend the kick-off training event on June 22, 2019
  • 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
  • You will be included in the leaderboard contests
  • A pocket field guide is provided
  • A free butterfly net is given to the first 15 participants

4. Butterfly

  • Register as a participant with CVC and in the iNaturalist Project 
  • Optional attendance at the kick-off training event on June 22, 2019
  • 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 29, 2019 at Belfountain Public School
  • You will be included in the leaderboard contests
  • A pocket field guide is provided
  • 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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