This webinar is part of our Continuing Education Webinar Series for Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers.
Description: Mounting evidence shows that insects are declining world-wide, leading to the so-called "insect apocalypse". Unfortunately, this is also true for butterflies in America and Canad. I will present the evidence showing patterns and trajectories of butterfly declines here in American north of Mexico. I will also summarize a recent study examining the most likely drivers. This story is complicated, but I'll show that in the 10 years following the 2003 release of seed-coated neonicotinoids, that class of pesticides appears to have the biggest impact on butterfly population declines. I will also be emphasizing an often untold part of this story which is that the only reason scientists can do this research is the efforts of thousands of on-the-ground volunteers who participate in monitoring programs like the North American Butterfly Association's count program and regional networks that do more intensive surveys, including new programs in the Carolinas and Blue Ridge Mountains. With the efforts of community scientists, we will be able to continue to amass the evidence we need on declines and causes that will hopefully allow us to turn the tide on this tragic loss of biodiversity.
Presenter: Leslie Ries is an associate professor at Georgetown University studying how global change impacts biodiversity with a focus on butterflies in America north of Mexico. In addition to carrying out lab, field, and "big data" research on butterflies, she is the co-director of the North American Butterfly Monitoring Network, which provides data management support for the vast majority of groups that run programs where volunteers collect structured survey data. She is also excited to be a new board member of the North American Butterfly Association. Leslie is a native of the DMV, growing up and now living in suburban Maryland.
Michelle Prysby, Virginia Master Naturalist Program Director, hosts the session.
Zoom Recording ID: 86026154377
UUID: nF9YaOjJTXS2bWWOVBC0rA==
Meeting Time: 2025-05-05 03:42:26pmGMT