The Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program (CarolinasBMP) tracks butterfly populations using modified Pollard Walk protocols, inventory trips, and opportunistic sightings across both North and South Carolina. This Citizen Science based program partners with various non-profit and government organizations, offers public outreach, encourages interaction between the general public and professional biologists, and provides data to researchers evaluating the health of habitats and insect populations in the Carolinas. While officially launched in 2023, some Pollard Walk surveys meeting protocol criteria and dating back to 2018 have been ingested.
Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program
Snapshot
Coordinator: Pippen, Jeffrey S.
Program Started: 2023
Institution Type: Other
Species Focus: All butterfly species
Contact: Jeff Pippen (jeffpippen9@gmail.com)
Protocol
Protocol Type: Open search, Count, Field trip, Opportunistic, Restricted search, Pollard, Transect
Data Type(s): Presence/absence, Abundance
Survey Focus: Adults
Incidental Data Collected: Weather, Behavior, Host / nectar plants, Habitat notes
Visit Frequency: Weekly
Taxonomic Standard: Modified Pelham 2013
Program Results
Research Spotlight:
Over 40 new survey routes with volunteer have been created and adopted in the first year of the program. Routes have been established from the mountains to the coastal plain.