Calling on all local butterfly lovers to join in atlas project

Butterfly enthusiasts, hobbyists and gardeners throughout the Maritimes are being called upon to contribute to a project that will help ensure future preservation of the colorful winged creatures as well as many other insect species.

The Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre (ACCDC), based in Sackville, has launched the Maritimes Butterfly Atlas, the first comprehensive butterfly survey ever conducted in the Maritime provinces.

John Klymko, a zoologist with ACCDC and director of the atlas project, says this five-year initiative will use the coordinated efforts of amateur naturalists to map the current distributions of butterfly species in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

"This project is open to people of all skill levels," says Klymko.

Anyone with an interest in nature, regardless of their knowledge of butterfly species, is welcome to participate. He says participants who aren't seasoned butterfly enthusiasts at the start of the project will be by the end of the survey. The project, which just got under way this month, is planned to extend to at least 2014.

Klymko says the atlas will produce a snapshot of the butterfly population in the Maritimes today - which will, in turn, identify species of conservation concern, allow for better informed conservation decisions, and produce a baseline dataset to which future efforts, including those investigating global climate change, can be compared.

The data, which will be compiled in the ACCDC database, will dramatically improve researchers' understanding of the numbers, distribution, and status of butterflies in the Maritimes.

"This will help us better document the rare species . . . to determine which of them have simply been rarely collected or spotted, and which are actually species of conservation concerns," says Klymko. "And that will help contribute to conservation decisions down the road."

The atlas will be set up so that anyone who lives in or visits the Maritimes and can swing a net or take a photo can participate, he says.

The training for volunteers will come in the form of workshops, Klymko explains, which will be held throughout the Maritimes in April. These workshops will provide participants with instructions on how to participate - how they can catch butterflies and then either photograph them or collect specimens. Everyone will be provided with atlas kits, nets and a user manual.

Klymko says the butterfly atlas will be similar to Bird Studies Canada's Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas except that volunteers will be looking only for the presence of species and not signs of breeding.

To date, the project has already attracted about 80 volunteers and several sightings of woodland species (Mourning Cloak, commas and Milberts Tortoishell) have already been observed, even though it's yet too early in the season for most other species to be out.

Similar to birds, butterflies are easily recognizable, and that's why researchers have pinpointed this insect as one they can study in this way.

"Most species are fairly showy. They're large, they're colourful and they fly around . . . so it's something we can get the public excited about."

Klymko says there are also a multitude of guidebooks available to identify the different species of butterflies, from the smallest bog elgin to the largest monarch, making it a project that allows anyone to join in.

Anyone interested in participating can contact John Klymko at jklymko@mta.ca or 364-2660. Or check out the website at http://accdc.com/butterflyatlas/home.html for more information.