Karner Volunteer Monitoring Program

What is the Karner Volunteer Monitoring Program?

The Karner blue butterfly is a federally endangered butterfly. Wisconsin is one of the last remaining strongholds in the entire Karner range. The Karner Volunteer Monitoring Program's goals are to document Karner observations throughout the state in order to track the population status, distribution, and trends. These data add to our long term data set and also aid the DNR in habitat management decisions. Data collected by volunteers is instrumental in allowing us to meet these goals.

See the 2023 Summer Survey Results.

Why are Karners important?

Karners, like other butterflies, are very sensitive to environmental changes making them excellent indicators of healthy ecosystems. They serve as an early warning system for the ecosystem.

Karners' only host plant, wild lupine, grows in sandy soils, commonly found in barrens, prairies, and savannas. These types of habitat are also globally imperiled. The conservation and restoration work we do for Karners also benefits these habitats which over 50 other SGCNs (species of greatest conservation need) require for survival.

Visit the DNR website to learn more.

How can you get involved?

We need help monitoring local Karner populations! Volunteers use photo submissions via iNaturalist to contribute valuable data.

To become a volunteer:

Watch training videos.
Read the Volunteer Manual.
Sign and submit the Confidentiality Form*.
Take the volunteer monitoring training quiz.
Attend in-person field training day (optional).
(See Training day details for more information.)
Track volunteer hours.

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Training day details

The optional in person field training day is specifically focused on field practice. ALL volunteers should have watched the two online training videos and have taken the online quiz PRIOR TO the field day. We will not be going over the online training in detail in the field. The field day will focus on field practice and data submission so it's important you have reviewed the background material prior to the field day. If you are attending the field training day, please be sure to bring water, sunscreen, appropriate outdoor clothing (close-toed shoes, hat, etc.), and a notebook to take notes. Be sure to bring your smart phone as we will practice uploading data to iNaturalist in the field.

2024 Training Dates TBD