This program is run out of the Kalamazoo Nature Center. Its main goals are to engage the public in significant scientific research for butterflies which can lend insight into the status of Michigan's ecosystems, while simultaneously engaging both science and society. As of September 2018, over 2100 surveys have been completed, and during the 2018 season, surveys were conducted on at least 72 monitoring routes!
Michigan Butterfly Network
Monitoring Activity Tracker
Snapshot
Coordinator: Spink, Ronda
Program Started: 2011
Institution Type: Nature Center
Data Availability: Contact program director for details
Species Focus: All butterfly species
Contact URL: http://naturecenter.org/michiganbutterfly/
Contact: Jen Meilinger (jmeilinger@naturecenter.org)
Protocol
Protocol Type: Restricted search, Pollard
Data Type(s): Abundance
Survey Focus: Adults
Incidental Data Collected: Weather
Visit Frequency: Biweekly
Effort Tracking: Time performing the survey is recorded.
Protocol Notes: Based on the IL protocols.
Program Results
Publications:
Larsen, E. A., Belitz, M. W., Guralnick, R. P., & Ries, L. (2022). Consistent trait-temperature interactions drive butterfly phenology in both incidental and survey data. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 13370.
Zylstra, E. R., Ries, L., Neupane, N., Saunders, S. P., Ramírez, M. I., Rendón-Salinas, E., ... & Zipkin, E. F. (2021). Changes in climate drive recent monarch butterfly dynamics. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5(10), 1441-1452.