State Looking For Volunteers To Monitor These!

Pictured: Wisconsin is home to the world’s largest population of the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin DNR is seeking volunteers for the Karner Blue Butterfly Volunteer Monitoring Program to help survey for this endangered butterfly starting in July in select counties throughout Wisconsin.

This program is a partnership between the DNR and the public with the goal of documenting Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) observations throughout their range. Since 2018, volunteers have contributed data that helps our long-term view of the species’ population state, distribution and trends. Volunteer, DNR and partner data go toward the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Karner Blue Recovery Plan, which has the goal of delisting Karners as an endangered species once it reaches a certain population level.

The Karner blue butterfly’s habitat once ranged from Minnesota to Maine and into Canada. Habitat loss, fragmentation and climate change have reduced their population significantly. Currently, Wisconsin has the largest remaining population of Karner blue butterflies, with the only other populations occurring in Michigan, Ohio, New Hampshire, and New York. Wisconsin is fortunate to have the necessary habitat that support this species, which includes open barrens, savannas and prairies that contain native wild lupine (Lupinus perennis). Wild lupine is the only food source for Karners’ pale green caterpillars.

“Volunteers will learn how to identify Karner blue butterflies and help us collect data to look at how this species moves around the landscape over time,” says Chelsea Weinzinger, DNR Karner blue butterfly recovery coordinator. “Collecting this information improves our database and gives us a better statewide picture of how this species is faring.”

The DNR is looking for volunteers in the following counties:

• Adams
• Burnett
• Chippewa
• Clark
• Columbia
• Dunn
• Eau Claire
• Green Lake
• Jackson
• Juneau
• Marathon
• Marquette
• Menominee
• Monroe
• Polk
• Portage
• Shawano
• Waupaca
• Waushara
• Wood

Become A Volunteer

• Access online training materials at your convenience.
• Join the Wisconsin Karner Volunteer Monitoring Program Project on iNaturalist to submit data.
• Register online and participate in an optional in-person field training session.
  • Beaver Creek Reserve – Wise Nature Center
    • Fall Creek, Wisconsin
    • Thursday, June 11, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
  • Sandhill Wildlife Area
    • Babcock, Wisconsin
    • Saturday, June 13, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

Other Ways To Help

Karner blue butterfly and other pollinator conservation in Wisconsin are supported, in part, by the Endangered Resources Fund. Learn more about the Endangered Resources Fund.