Since the inception of the North American Butterfly Monitoring Network, we have seen tremendous growth in butterfly monitoring activity. New monitoring programs have been started in many states, and we are always working to expand and facilitate new monitoring networks in other areas. Our support systems and network of monitoring program directors facilitate recruitment, engaging with new programs and volunteers.

The long-term collection of large-scale biodiversity data offers the necessary information for management agencies and scientists to discover trends and explore possible actions towards mitigation if populations are declining. These data are invaluable to understanding insect abundance dynamics in both short and long term studies. Outreach and educational materials for the general public also benefit from the valuable insights these groups provide. Available on-line data can be used to help people discover the biodiversity in their area, develop educational materials for pre-school through grad-school, and can also draw in new volunteers.

We aim to increase recruitment of volunteers, especially under-represented places and peoples, by directing website visitors to volunteer opportunities of which they may be unaware, and partnering with other organizations that can help us meet our goals. Under-served regions are particularly important for new survey establishment. To this end, we also provide materials to support volunteer programs (especially new ones) in recruiting and training volunteers, setting up survey networks, working with land owners, and managing data. Finally, we help connect individual programs to state and local management agencies and scientists to increase use of the data and value for each program.