Celebrate and be part of the Karner blue recovery
See why our recovery program is hailed as a national model and attend our July 14 training
Karner blue butterfly. Photo by Gregor Schuurman.
Our recovery program
"An endangered butterfly with a one-inch wingspan is the focus of a cutting-edge recovery program in Wisconsin that has become a model for other recovery plans for imperiled species. A history of the program, described in an article published in American Entomologist, could be a blueprint for similar efforts to save habitats and the species dependent on them, according to Gene Kritsky, editor-in-chief of the journal and Chair of Biology at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, OH."
- Ed Ricciuti writing for the Entomological Society of America
Join the team
As a trained volunteer, you can help the Wisconsin Karner Recovery Program by locating and assessing the size of populations of Karner blue butterflies. Using the skills you've learned at training, you'll identify areas with suitable Karner habitat and wild lupine. Then you'll survey the area for Karners, taking notes and data.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Black River Falls DNR Service Center
More information about training
About the Karner blue
Preferred habitat: Pine barrens and oak savanna in close association with its larval hostplant lupine (Lupinus perennis)
States in which it's currently found: New Hampshire; New York; Ohio; Indiana; Michigan; Wisconsin; and Minnesota
Fun fact: Karner larvae feed only on one plant, wild lupine
Size: wingspan of about 1 inch
Date of federal listing: December 14, 1992