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 2020 Summer Survey Results.
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.
Trainings are canceled for 2020 and will resume in 2021. Contact Chelsea Weinzinger (608) 397-0631, with questions.
Prior to the training you will receive an email with details about your specific training date (locations, parking, etc.). We will begin
the training with a "classroom portion" introducing the Karner blue butterfly, its life cycle, and how to identify this species. We will
also discuss submitting data through iNaturalist. After the classroom portion, we will head out to our field site to look for Karners and
practice submitting observations using iNaturalist.
*Please download iNaturalist to your smart phone prior to the training for efficiency
Chelsea Weinzinger
KBB Recovery Coordinator
[email protected]
(608) 397-0631