Want to watch butterflies for conservation? Become a community scientist and join the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas (2023 - 2027)!
The Vermont Butterfly Atlas is a 5-year study conducted every 20 years to update the state butterfly species list and understand how populations have changed over time. With the state updating our wildlife action plan, now is the time to document butterflies! All you need to participate is your phone or camera and an enthusiasm for butterflies. No experience is necessary. Training is provided online. Learn more at https://shorturl.at/EKIfa
Wednesday, March 26, 7 pm, Introduction to the Vermont Butterfly Atlas
Wednesday, April 23, 7 pm, Vermont Butterfly Atlas Q&A
Wednesday, May 7, 7 pm, Introduction to the eButterfly app
Newsletter
Butterflies are a silent staple of summer flower gardens that delight our sense of beauty with their flashy colors and whimsical flight. While butterflies may be silent on the wing, they have a big message to share. Worldwide, insects are facing what some scientists are calling the “insect apocalypse.” In 2022, a group of scientists estimated that insect abundance is declining by 1% to 2% annually due to a range of environmental stressors, including land use change, insecticides, herbicides, introduced species, climate change, and synergistic effects. Climate change is already modifying the distribution and abundance of many species. While birds, mammals, reptiles, and other organisms receive a great deal of attention from scientists and the media alike, invertebrates often get overlooked.
Enter butterflies - our familiar, flashy messengers of environmental change. Studying butterflies tells us more than just how insects are affected by change, it can also tell us a lot about the habitats and plants they rely on. Many butterflies, or specifically their larval stage - caterpillars - rely on host plants, a particular plant species, or a suite of related species that are often the only food a caterpillar can eat. They are also easy to study because they are eye-catching, found almost everywhere, and prefer being out on warm, sunny days - just like us!
Before 2002, Vermont knew little about our butterflies. There was no statewide data bank, no atlas of their distribution, no scientific assessment of the threats they face, and no conservation concept for butterfly species statewide. In 2003, we launched the 1st Vermont Butterfly Atlas, a 5-year study to update the state butterfly species list, map their ranges, and build a framework to see how populations might change in the future. This effort mobilized a dedicated base of 150 butterfly enthusiasts to document 36,000+ butterfly observations, discovering new species and building the first statewide database to assess the threats they face.
Twenty years later, we’re completing the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas to update what we know about species and distributions. With Vermont seeking to update its State Wildlife Action Plans in 2025, now is a critical time to make sure decision-makers have the most up-to-date data on butterflies. Since 2023, the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas has already documented four species new or rediscovered in the state and documented range shifts likely due to climate and land use change.
How can you join? All you need is your phone or camera and a passion for butterflies. No experience necessary! The Vermont Butterfly Atlas tracks sightings on the mobile app and website, e-Butterfly.org. Just like iNaturalist or eBird, this easy-to-use web and mobile app allows people to upload their sightings to an online community of observers. While out observing, you can record a checklist of all the species you see and count, add photos, and comments, or use our eButterfly computer vision to help with identifications. If you’re curious about contributing, visit us at https://shorturl.at/EKIfa for recorded webinars and ways to become more involved.
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