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World Series of Birding Report Satellite Beach Recreation Department Upcoming Events Birding Brevard: To Learn Birds, Start With Size Eighth Annual Patrick Smith Day at Forever Florida October Field Trips Why and What For Merritt Island NWR Annual Christmas Bird Count Tropical Mayan Paradise in January Gatorland is Home to Many Birds Meeting Program and Field Trip Schedule |
Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network Comes to MINWRBy Betty and Cary SalterNearly 40 volunteers and members of the general public gathered July 14 in the Visitor Center Auditorium, to officially start Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network activities on the refuge. Dr. Akers Pence, Coordinator of FBMN, from the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera, University of Florida at Gainesville, spent the previous day checking areas of the Refuge suitable for scientific monitoring activities. Volunteers Cary and Betty Salter accompanied Dr. Pence, and serve as lead contacts for FBMN activity on the Refuge. The program covered scientific methodology for surveys, and power-point slides of butterflies which may be found on the refuge. Volunteers become Citizen Scientists, agreeing to survey a designated area at least once each quarter. Their information is reviewed and tabulated by Betty Salter, who forwards results to Dr. Pence and Dr. Jaret Daniels at the McGuire Center. "There's just so much that is not known about butterfly species distribution in Florida, and the health of butterfly populations, that these efforts will fill a tremendous void," Betty said. FBMN activity In Brevard began in the spring of 2006 at the Brevard Zoo, where Michelle Smurl, Director of Animal Programs, coordinates six designated transects on which butterflies are currently being monitored. The FBMN list of butterflies that have been found or are likely to be found at MINWR now has just 60 species on it. With the large variety of habitats on the refuge, there may be many more species out there. Areas that have been designated for surveys are on easily accessed paths. The time required to do a survey varies from 20 minutes to 1 hour and may require walking anywhere from one tenth of a mile to half a mile. If you would like more information, or to become involved in these scientific activities at the Refuge, contact Nancy Corona, 321-867-0668, or email Nancy_Corona@fws.gov. The success of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network relies on trained volunteers and staff members to collect and submit data from direct observations at various sites across Florida, something a small number of scientists could never achieve. The data collected may also aide in measuring/validating the success of land management practices on the refuge. |