I haven't been blogging much this summer. Mostly because I have been insanely busy. But also because I hate trying to load pictures. Maybe I am retarded but this blogger picture loader really irritates me.
Anyways, starting to wrap up my internship. Field work is done now. We saw an awesome increase in Karner populations which is great, since Wisconsin is one of the few places they are thriving. Some people say "What's the big deal? It's just a little butterfly" but in reality, it is much more than that.
It has been proven that diversity benefits all species. The more diverse, the greater the growth and survival rate of all species, and the better the overall health of our planet and ecosystem. Karner blue butterflies are referred to as a "flagship" species. They are cute and a great image to present to the public to bring about awareness of the loss of biodiversity on this planet.
Karners were listed as federally endangered species in 1992. In managing the habitats suited for Karners (pine barrens, open prairies, etc), there are also a lot of other species being "saved" as well such as trees, prairie flowers, and wildlife.
So when people say "It's just a little butterfly", it actually is much more than that!
Here are a few random shots from field days. I didn't take the camera too much because it was always so hot and sweaty and we were working pretty hard. Yes, counting butterflies IS hard work. Most of the terrain was very brushy and we were going through a lot of trees and blackberries.
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| Looking for butterflies. Haha -just kidding. We are actually finished for the day and trying to get some good profile pics for facebook! |
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| One of the prettier sites we surveyed. ( Most were not this open and clear of brush) |
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| Anna and Lindsay attempting to "look scientific" while they take weather and wind readings |
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| A Karner checking out Anna's lunch |
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| Does it count as harrassment when they land on you and you're trying to eat? |
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| Karner on my measuring tape while doing vegetation analyses |
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| Karner on my distance pole |
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| Relative Abundance Level 2+ Sampling |
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