ATHABASCA — After a seven-year hiatus, the Athabasca Butterfly Count is back on, and the Crooked Creek Conservancy Society of Athabasca (CCCSA) is looking for individuals of all ages and ability levels to participate in the July 20 hunt for bugs and, subsequently, data.
“These butterfly counts are held throughout North America, and they give a general idea of whether populations of different species are increasing or decreasing, and expanding their range or contracting their range,” said Dr. Robert Holmberg, who first established the local event 18 years ago.
“But the most important part is actually to get people outdoors and enjoy the outdoors, and we’ll learn a little bit about the animals that we share this planet with,” added Holmberg.
The region’s first butterfly count was held in 1999 as an event under Athabasca University’s Science Outreach program. Holmberg was a key player in the count, leading and organizing the annual bug hunt until 2017 when he stepped away.
CCCSA conservation coordinator Heather Stocking has taken up the torch to revitalize the event and said her efforts to re-establish the count have been driven by both the organization’s mandate, and a penchant for numbers.
“I’ve always been a data person, and when I started doing some research, there’s only a handful of butterfly counts across the province, so I felt that it was important to in some way bring that back, and provide that information,” said Stocking.
According to the North American Butterfly Association, an estimated 450 counts take place throughout the continent each year.
Stocking said Athabasca’s event, scheduled to take place between 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., July 20 – or July 21 if the weather isn’t suitable – is an event for anyone and everyone. Observation routes both in town and in the county will be assigned to participants the day of, meaning access to a vehicle will be necessary for select participants, but by no means a requirement. Anyone with mobility differences can sign up to be a garden observer, taking photos or compiling descriptions of butterflies within their own backyards.
All ages and experience levels are welcome to join the count as well; two experts from the Alberta Lepidopertists’ Guild will be instructing participants how to properly look for, catch, document, and release specimen before the count commences.
A widespread cause
For lepidopertists – those who study or collect butterflies and moths – as well as for Holmberg and Stocking, the data satisfies more than a niche interest.
“The scientific information is still important, and it’s good to continue it,” said Holmberg. “The more counts there are, the more accurate the information is, and each of these counts are in different parts of North America, so (the Athabasca count) is one more dot Alberta holds.”
Butterfly Conservation is a UK-based non-profit with a goal of protecting butterfly and moth populations and habitat, headed by president Sir David Attenborough since 1998. The organization’s website describes why the study of these insects can point to subtle changes in the natural world.
“Their fragility makes them quick to react to changes so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment,” reads the website. The insects have been studied for more than 300 years, and findings have shed light on evolutionary processes, population dynamics, and conservation of biodiversity.
In the past, Athabasca’s Butterfly Count has seen the largest participation in the province, reaching 41 attendees in 2004, and in other years, numbers were as low as five. Stocking said 10 people have signed up for this year, including a few from the Edmonton area.
Anyone interested in participating in the butterfly count can register by sending an email to [email protected]. More information, and a downloadable Butterfly Journal is available at crookedcreek.land.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own cameras — cell phone camera can be used — and equipment like binoculars if available, and counters 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. A potluck will be held at Dr. Holmberg’s residence west of town, and shareable dishes are encouraged.
“Any opportunity that we can have to provide people with a chance to go out and explore the world around them and understand the interconnectedness between them and the land and everything that lives on it — the flora and the fauna — is always important,” said Stocking.
