The Chicago Park District Butterfly Monitoring Program is a citizen-scientist project that monitors the health of butterfly populations in Chicago Park District nature areas.
Volunteers will:
- learn to identify common butterflies likely to be found in our park system
- conduct at least six site visits between June and early August
- spend 20 to 30 minutes walking the route during each visit
- submit data sheets at the end of the season, which are then added to the butterfly database
- attend a butterfly monitoring workshop held in the spring
Through analysis of the extensive database generated by citizen scientists, researchers are able to gain a greater knowledge of the butterfly species present in the Chicago park system. These results will assist land managers in more effective conservation of the city's butterflies.
