New Guide Published, Showcases 120 Butterfly Species of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Fresh off the press!
Created by Vesper Meadow Education Program in partnership with Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and the Bureau of Land Management, the new guide highlights one of the most butterfly-diverse landscapes in North America
ASHLAND, Ore. The Vesper Meadow Education Program and Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument are announcing the release of a new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) publication, a butterfly identification guide showcasing the 120 butterfly species found within Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument. FCSNM and Vesper Meadow curated and created the guide in partnership with BLM.
The Monument's mingling of habitats, forests giving way to oak savannas, meadows spilling into chaparral, makes it home to one of the highest concentrations of butterfly diversity in North America. Wet meadows, mixed conifer forests, oak savannas, rose brush chaparral, and riparian corridors each support different species, all closely tied to the native grasses and flowering plants that sustain them through every stage of their life cycle.
Butterflies are more than a delight to watch. As pollinators, they help sustain the wildflowers and plants that shape the Monument's landscapes. As sensitive indicators of environmental change, shifts in their populations can signal changes in climate, habitat quality, or plant availability long before those changes are visible elsewhere.
That sensitivity makes the timing of this guide especially relevant. Recent national research has found butterfly populations across the United States are declining at alarming rates, and the Cascade-Siskiyou is not exempt from the pressures driving that decline: habitat loss from logging, grazing, and water diversion, along with invasive species, pesticide use, and climate change.
The guide’s content was curated by Jeanine Moy, Director at Vesper Meadow Education Program, in close collaboration with John Duwe, Monument Interpretive Specialist with BLM. It draws on years of research by Dana Ross and Linda Kappen and field photography from Rob Santry and other contributors.
"The rich local community of butterfly scientists, photographers, and enthusiasts made it possible to create this educational piece. It was an honor to curate the content and a pleasure to spend hours sifting through butterfly photographs," said Moy.
"This guide provides both an excellent tool for identification, as well as another way to appreciate the beauty and wonder that is the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument," said Daniel Collay, Executive Director of Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
The guide is available now online as a clickable PDF at cascadesiskiyou.org/monument-information/plan-your-visit/, with each species linked to its iNaturalist page so visitors can contribute their own sightings to community science records. Physical copies are also available at the BLM field office in Medford, the Monument's information station, Vesper Meadow, Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, and Pollinator Project Rogue Valley.
A poster version is also in the works, showcasing all 120 species in a single image, perfect for mounting on a wall at home, in a classroom, or in an office.
Volunteer opportunity: To get involved in butterfly diversity monitoring, contact jeanine@vespermeadow.org Volunteers will support 2 hour surveys, walking on uneven surfaces for 1-2 miles. Species identification experience preferred but not required.
About Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
Friends of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Ashland, Oregon. The organization works to protect, restore, and conserve Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, the only national monument designated specifically for its biodiversity, through service, advocacy, and education. Learn more at https://cascadesiskiyou.org/
About Vesper Meadow Education Program
The Vesper Meadow Education Program (VM) works to inspire a culture of land stewardship and nature connection. VM paints the picture of resilient communities and ecosystems with hands-on programming at their flagship location, the scenic 1000-acre Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve, where stewards and students work on long-term efforts for ecological restoration, climate resiliency, scientific monitoring of rare species and biodiversity, and community projects for reconnection of the human-land relationship. Programs address society’s need for holistic thinkers by integrating diverse learning perspectives and practicing solutions-based approaches to address climate change and issues of social justice. More info and blog at VesperMeadow.org