NABA Butterfly Count - Saturday July 14th, Join Us!

NABA Butterfly Count at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve
July 14th, by Linda Cooper

Berry's Skipper—© Linda Cooper

Way back in 1996 we began counting butterflies for the North American Butterfly Association’s Fourth of July Butterfly Counts. This was prior to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve becoming a state park. This count actually began at National Audubon’s Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary, now a part of the Preserve. Over the years, this count has grown into one of the Florida counts with the highest or nearly-highest number of species seen during the all-day event.

Participants are divided into teams — one covers the old Audubon part, one covers the road to the Visitor’s Center and Kilpatrick Hammock, one covers from the hammock to near the Kissimmee River. We even have a team that covers the roads outside the park. When you consider that Florida has 41 summer counts you can see how productive the prairie habitat is for butterflies. In good years we expect 55 to 60 species here and a large number of them are skippers.

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Monk Skipper—© Linda Cooper

By now you are saying…“but I can’t identify skippers.” Don’t worry, you will be with a team that has experienced leaders. It is a long, hot day, but very rewarding. You will be with enthusiastic people eager to share their knowledge with you. The quietness and beautiful scenery of the prairie contribute to making this a memorable day even when butterflies are few.

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White Peacock—©Linda Cooper

Palatka Skipper—©Linda Cooper

We meet at the parking area at the Preserve entrance at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 14. You need to bring LOTS to drink, a lunch, closed-toe footwear that can get wet, sunscreen and close-focusing binoculars if possible. Digital cameras are encouraged. That is how we identify skippers if there is a question. There is walking involved, but not over great distances. The end of the count depends on if we have rain or not, but is officially over by 5 p.m. Preserve entrance fees are waived that day for participants. Lake Region Audubon in Polk County sponsors the count so there is no fee. Participants receive a copy of the count after it is tallied and entered into the NABA web site.

If you want to participate or have questions, please email us at LCooper298@aol.com