Author: Michael Cerbone

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Chapters: New Jersey Monthly Meeting – National Butterfly Center Update

The New Jersey chapter of NABA meets Tuesday, October 3, @ 7:30pm at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Haggerty Education Center, 353 East Hanover Avenue, Morristown, NJ.

This meeting will feature a presentation by NABA President Jeff Glassberg on Trumps’ Border Wall: Its effect on the National Butterfly Center and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas has the most diverse butterfly and bird fauna of any area of the United States. This biological diversity is jeopardized by the construction of a border wall. In addition, a wall will obliterate the 450 million dollars that ecotourism pours into the economy of what is the most economically disadvantaged area in the United States. For people especially interested in butterflies, conservation and education, a wall poses an existential threat to the National Butterfly Center, which is owned and operated by NABA

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Butterflies in Hurricanes

With this year’s historic hurricane season wrecking havoc through the Caribbean and southern United States, you may have wondered how butterflies evade the destructive power of wind and water.

Some species, especially those in at-risk areas, may have reduced habitat ranges, so even though they seem to know trouble is coming when the skies darken, evacuation isn’t an option. Journey North has some great resources on this topic:

https://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/fall_hazards_hurricanes.html

It is extremely rare to find a butterfly when it is raining; they typically have the good sense to take shelter:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-do-butterflies-do-wh/

The conscientious butterfly gardener can also help out by providing lots of strong, tall plants, leaf mold, or hardscaping for butterflies to wait out bad weather under:

http://birdsandblooms.com/blog/how-butterflies-seek-shelter-from-a-storm/

NABA wishes that everyone in affected areas stays safe, and doesn’t worry about the butterflies, they can take care of themselves! It’s the loss of habitat caused by damaging weather events, or human action, that is cause for concern. Fortunately, that’s something we can help with on their behalf. Certify your garden as contributing to world butterfly habitat today!

http://nababutterfly.com/butterfly-garden-certification-program-home/

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Counts: Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count, Saturday July 29th

Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count – Saturday, July 29, 2017

NOTE: You must sign-up ahead of time to participate in this event.

Participants are needed for the 14th annual Tallahassee NABA Butterfly Count to be held on Saturday, July 29th. David Harder will again be our Count Leader for this effort. The Count is conducted in a 15-mile diameter circle centered in western Tallahassee near Florida State University. We find and identify as many butterflies as we can within the circle.

We plan to have four parties (North, South, East and West). North mainly covers Phipps Park and Miller Landing; South does Munson Hills and Black Swamp; East does Miccosukee Greenway, Lafayette Park, and the IFAS Gardens; and West does Fred George Greenway and portions of Lake Talquin State Forest.

We see between 40 and 50 species of butterflies on the count day, and each team usually finds a few species that are not duplicated by the other teams. You can come for part or all of the day. We will compile our results at a local restaurant in the late afternoon or early evening (celebrating the great finds, bemoaning the misses and comparing results to previous years). You do not need to be an expert at identifying all the butterfly species in order to participate.

Please contact Dave McElveen at d.mcelveen@comcast.net or (850) 841-0899 if you wish to join us for the Count. If you have a Team preference, please let Dave know and we’ll try to accommodate you. Our Count Leader, David Harder will make final assignments based on preference and need. You will be contacted by your party leader about where and when to meet on the Count Day.

For more events from NABA-Hairstreak: http://www.naba-hairstreak.com/uploads/5/9/2/3/59239337/2017_calendar.pdf