Bob Dunlap will lead Saint Paul Audubon’s annual butterfly count on Saturday, July 6, from 9:45 to 2:00 PM at Arden Hills Army Training Site (AHATS).

Registration is required: To register, follow this link:  AHATS Butterfly Count Registration 2024    https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScsyqILZVrzbEfe9EtrUPcr30bp_5MoRYwVGctlJw14_v_thQ/viewform?pli=1 . Registration will remain open through Wednesday, July 3. A map and other information will be emailed to participants in the days prior to the count. Registrants will be contacted if weather causes a last-minute change of plans. This annual event is part of the July 4th Butterfly Count coordinated by the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Saint Paul Audubon pays the NABA count fees, so the count at AHATS is free to all participants.

How to get there: Registered participants will meet in the parking lot at the AHATS Arden Hills Readiness Center, 4761 Hamline Avenue North, just north of Highway 96. Drive through the AHATS gate to the Readiness Center, the first building on the left after you enter the training site. Restrooms are available in the Readiness Center.

During the count: We will carpool to the various sites. Mary Lee, the Environmental Protection Specialist for the National Guard, will again be our great host and tour leader.

Useful Information to Help You Prepare:

• naba.org The official website of the North American Butterfly Association. Find everything to do with these beloved insects: membership options, magazine PDFs, gardening information, checklists, regional information, beautiful photos.
• A great source of information about butterflies. wisconsinbutterflies.org  An excellent site with species accounts and range maps of all butterflies encountered in Wisconsin; the vast majority of these species are also found in Minnesota.
• inaturalist.org A community science hub for submitting and exploring observations of organisms throughout the world. Over 35,000 observations of butterflies in Minnesota have been submitted to iNaturalist!

What to Bring and Wear: Be sure to bring plenty of cool drinks, snacks, and a bag lunch. A wide-brimmed hat, lightweight long pants, long-sleeved shirt (for protection from ticks, sun, and sharp grasses), sunscreen, high socks, old sneakers or rubber boots for bog-tromping, and insect repellent are recommended. Binoculars, a camera, and a butterfly field guide are recommended but not required.

Recommended Butterfly Field Guides:

• Butterflies through Binoculars: The East, A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Eastern North America by Jeffrey Glassberg
• Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America, by Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman