E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center
Saturday, Oct. 8, 1-2 p.m. Butterfly Presentation by MaryAnn Friedman
It’s fall and the sky is full of butterflies. We’ve become accustomed to enjoying the fall migration of Monarchs, but will it always be this way?
Most of our native butterflies seem to be thriving yet certain species are in severe decline.
The Florida Panhandle is home to some of Florida’s rarest species of butterflies. Our area offers a variety of different ecosystems and large undeveloped conservation tracts which harbor a rich diversity of wildlife. Many of these conservation lands have undergone huge changes from both manmade and natural causes.
For three years, MaryAnn Friedman, of Niceville, worked as the Western Panhandle Regional Coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Grant entitled “A Statewide Assessment of the Current Status and Distribution of FNAI’s Tracked Butterfly Species on Florida’s Conservation Lands.” A team of biologists and a group of dedicated citizen scientists traveled across Florida to monitor existing populations and to seek out previously unknown populations of our most vulnerable butterflies, compile and map occurrences and draw some conclusions on management techniques which might be helping or harming various species.
On Saturday, at 1 p.m., Friedman will present a digital photographic record of her experiences in the field searching for butterfly data and will offer suggestions on how to promote butterfly conservation at the E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center, in Freeport.
Standard admission rates to the Center apply.
Visit www.eowilsoncenter.org for more information or the Center’s Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/42byjg2