The Butterfly Network provides support and coordination for programs that advance our understanding of butterflies in North America. We are a network of data collectors, data users, and informatics specialists dedicated to the goal of supporting the wide-spread collection and use of all types of information on butterflies. Our network includes affiliates from museums, societies, universities, and government agencies. We work together to identify needs and to build solutions that work across individual regional programs and networks. Each regional program remains an independent entity and voluntarily chooses how to be involved in the Butterfly Network. At the moment, there are no fees for participation in this larger network, or for accessing the resources and data management tools available to network members.
Our Story
The butterfly network was created in 2012 through a collaboration of academic scientists and on-the-ground grassroots monitoring programs, thanks to support from the University of Maryland and the National Science Foundation. A series of workshops brought together leaders from the many programs already collecting butterfly data to discuss challenges each group faced and opportunities to work together. These leaders worked together to formalize the protocols and structures of data collection. Since those early workshops, we have achieved many milestones for butterfly data in the USA. In 2014, NABMN launched our data management system for "Pollard walk" monitoring programs at pollardbase.org. In 2020, we completed development of a tool to harmonize data using different names for species lists. Throughout NABMNs history, the partner programs have grown and new programs have come on board. We hope to continue to expand our programs to collaborate more with neighboring nations.
How to Support Us
No matter who you are, there are ways you can support our work. Learn more about the different ways for you to get involved!
We are currently seeking additional support to maintain and improve our cyberinfrastructure for network data. Please contact Leslie Ries at Georgetown University to discuss opportunities to contribute to this work. To donate to the North American Butterfly Monitoring Network, you may make a directed donation through Georgetown University. Select the "Other" designation and specify "Butterfly Network Program, PI Leslie Ries, Biology."