First-ever: Appalachian Butterfly Conference
Mark your calendars! If you are interested in butterflies, you’ll not want to miss this first-ever conference. Shawnee and the Edge of Appalachia preserve offer some of the best butterfly-watching north of the Ohio River. Racking up a list of over 60 species during the course of this weekend isn’t out of the question, and many species will be found in huge numbers. In addition to large numbers of common species like Spicebush Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple, and Great Spangled Fritillary, much rarer butterflies can be found. These include Hayhurst’s Scallopwing, Gemmed Satyr, Juniper and White-M hairstreaks. This region of southernmost Ohio can also be great for finding good numbers of southern immigrants like Cloudless Sulphur, Little Sulphur, Sachem, and Checkered White.
We are pleased to have Jaret C. Daniels, author of Butterflies of Ohio, as the Saturday evening keynote speaker. Dr. Daniels is a noted butterfly conservationist, professional photographer, and avid field researcher.
Both Saturday and Sunday feature field trips led by experts, focusing on finding maximum butterfly diversity. These trips should be an excellent chance to improve butterfly identification skills, learn more about butterfly natural history, and maybe even see some new species.
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