Butterflies Count
By Susanne Laperle
There’s an old saying, ‘Happiness is found in warm sun and butterflies.’ The adage was only half true on July 15 when Matt Thomson and a group of experts and enthusiasts headed off into the back country of Severn to count butterfly species—the first official ‘butterfly count’ to be held in our region. The sun was not to be seen.
Despite the rainy weather the team’s enthusiasm was not dampened, although conditions likely reduced the number of species and butterflies sighted during the day. The group covered 16.5 km by bike and visited six fields on foot. 812 butterflies and skippers representing 29 distinct species were counted. Imagine how many more varieties and individual butterflies they would have seen if Mother Nature had cooperated.
Of the 812 butterflies counted, 385 of them were identified as European Skippers. Skippers are smaller butterflies and are often confused for moths. They are likely called skippers because of their quick, darting flight behavior. Two experienced butterfly observers on the count.
You may well be asking, “Why go to the effort of counting them, especially in the rain?”
In a nutshell – butterflies do count. They are pollinators and along with bees they are key to propagating flora and agriculture world-wide. The plight of Monarch butterflies is well-known and, thanks to a growing awareness of their critical role in our overall ecological systems, there are some signs their habitats are being restored, so the overall population of Monarchs may start to increase once again. The jury is still out and is a reason why counts are so important to measure progress for this vital species.
We have our own champions on behalf of the Monarchs. Morgan Mansfield and her mom, Gavy, have steadfastly drawn attention to the need to ensure a welcoming habitat for these beautiful beings. Orillia was certified as a Bee City in 2019 and another group of committed citizens continue to take steps to get Orillia designated as a Bird Friendly City. These initiatives are led by private citizens like Morgan, Matt, and others and are helping to inform our community how to create a safe haven and protect as much habitat as possible on behalf of these critical members of our ecosystem.
“It’s important to know how declining insect populations are faring in the face of a growing number of threats from habitat loss or degradation, increased use of spray insecticides and the changing climate,” said Matt Thomson
“Severn offers a wide range of ecosystems, and is the perfect municipality in which to conduct a butterfly count. Over the years I have logged more than 60 species of butterflies, though I don’t see the same ones every year.”
(Photos Submitted)
