Seven Devil's butterfly count provides valuable data for conservation

The count is part of the North American Butterfly Association's (NABA) long-running Butterfly Count Program, which has collected standardized observations across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Within designated 15-mile-diameter count circles, volunteers spend a day identifying butterfly species and recording how many they see.

That information becomes more valuable when the count is repeated year after year. The observations help scientists track which species are present, monitor changes in abundance and distribution, and better understand how factors such as habitat, weather and other environmental changes may affect butterfly populations.