Progress 01/01/08 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities accomplished included field monitoring, population assessment and targeted research on several common and imperiled butterflies.Efforts focused on: 1) conservation breeding and ecology of the Florida atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala); 2) population ecology, fire ecology and surveys of the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus); 3)conservation breeding, organism reintroduction, molecular ecology, population biology and field surveys of the federally-endangered Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi); 4) ovipositional preferences and host usage by the yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae); 5) field surveys and population assessment of the federally-endangered Schaus' swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus ponceanus); and 6)biodiversity surveys of butterflies on conservation lands throughout Florida. The later surveys were completed as part of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN). Products developed and disseminated included the FBMN website, various brochures, smartphone applications, a native plant and wildlife demonstration garden, and other popular and scientific publications. Numerous public talks were given at conferences, meetings, events and to various local community and conservation groups. For the FBMN, regular classroom and field training workshops were conducted at over 18 partner organizations across Florida. The next project included the development of six professional training workshops on Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management aimed at science professionals. Six national workshops were conducted across the country. Products developed included a web sharepoint and workshop curricula. An end product (book) is under contract. Additional public educational programs included Call: Fostering Understanding of the Nature of Science was funded by NSF (DRL-0916623). Project deliverables included one mobile phone activity and two smartphone applications. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the basic educational components of the projects are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, extension agents and partner staff members. Information is disseminated via educational products such as brochures, talks, field trips, smartphone applications, and other related outreach activities. The target audiences for the FBMN include zoological institution staff, volunteers and members, state conservation land managers, and the general public. Information is disseminated via regular classroom and field training activities and printed documents. The target audiences for the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management are professionals from natural history museums, zoos, and botanical gardens and other conservation organizations that are: 1) currently engaged in imperiled butterfly conservation or recovery, or 2) initiating, planning, or considering the development of a butterfly conservation or recovery program. Efforts are made to reach the target audiences through web and print materials, public talks and seminars, in-depth field and lab-based workshops and training courses, papers at professional meetings and conferences, and a resulting butterfly conservation book. PARTICIPANTS: The following individuals were involved with the projects. Dr. Jaret Daniels served as the overall Principal Investigator and program director for the Florida butterfly Monitoring Network, Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management, and as Co-PI for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and Call the Wild: Fostering Understanding of the Nature of Science. Dr. Betty Dunckel served as PI for Nature Viewing along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and as Co-PI for Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management and Call the Wild: Fostering Understanding of the Nature of Science. Sandy Koi was a graduate assistant who worked on the atala butterfly conservation research. Matthew Thom worked on the frosted elfin as part of his dissertation work. Dr. Akers Pence was a postdoctoral Research Associate for the FBMN and served as a field and lab assistant for many of the conservation related projects. Partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network included some 18 zoos, conservation lands and organizations. Lowry Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Brevard Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Merritt Island NWR, Camp bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Florida Forever Lands, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Ulmay Wildlife Sanctuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzus National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Partner organizations involved with the Maimi blue butterfly conservation, monitoring and research included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, USFWS, NPS, and Florida DEP. Project partners for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Wildflower Foundation. Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management partners included the Oregon Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens, Chicago Academy of Sciences' Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Butterfly Conservation Initiative and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A total of 35 science professionals from zoos, botanical gardens, museums, state agencies, US Army, NGOs, and nature centers are regular participants in this program. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the basic educational components of the projects are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, extension agents and partner staff members. Information is disseminated via educational products such as the Florida Butterflies and Wildflowers brochure, talks, smartphone applications, and other related outreach activities. The target audiences for the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include zoological institution staff, volunteers and members, state conservation land managers, and the general public. Information is disseminated via regular classroom and field training activities and printed curricula/training documents. The target audience for Nature Viewing along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is the general public, specifically Florida residents or visitors. Science content is delivered through talks, workshops, activities and smartphone applications. The target audiences for the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management are professionals from natural history museums, zoos, and botanical gardens and other conservation organizations that are: 1) currently engaged in imperiled butterfly conservation or recovery, or 2) initiating, planning, or considering the development of a butterfly conservation or recovery program. Efforts are made to reach the target audiences through web and print materials, public talks and seminars, field and lab-based workshops and training courses, and papers at meetings and conferences. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No majors changes or modifications.
Impacts
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN), Call the Wild, and Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management (IBCM) represent the primary public educational and professional training programs. Expected benefits for FBMN participants are summarized. For citizen scientists: 1) Increased awareness and knowledge of butterflies; 2) Increased appreciation for natural Florida; 3) Increased environmental engagement; 4) increased stewardship incentive; 5) Increased community involvement; 6) contribution to a conservation biology project; and 7) Collaboration with peers, professionals and scientists. For partner organizations: 1) Increased community outreach; 2) Increased understanding of the needs of different audiences and ways to engage them; 3) Increased staff enrichment; and 4) Increased partnerships. Results demonstrated that the majority of initial participants completed the training workshops, were successful at learning and implementing the protocols, showed a strong commitment to regular site monitoring, and gained added benefit and enjoyment from more intimate mentoring relationships. Particularly important was exposure of participants to natural areas and wildlife in their communities. For Call the Wild, both the mobile phone components and information content was evaluated. The mobile phone content was enthusiastically received by a segment of the zoo visitors during evaluations. Advanced functions such as apps appear to be most appealing to zoo visitors. The project work indicates that when engaged in such activities, visitors do make connections between NOS concepts and the scientific work at zoos. The NOS concepts must be explicit and the assessments must be carefully designed to examine visitor understanding of those concepts rather than eliciting answers containing science facts. The overall goal of IBCM is to strengthen institution and staff capacity to play a strategic role in insect conservation and recovery. Objectives were to: 1) improve staff practices; 2) promote broader information exchange between professionals and institutions; 3) foster institutional collaboration and institution-wildlife agency interaction, and 4) strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation programs. This collaboration framework is of interest because of their potential applicability to other training programs. Evaluation explored the questions: 1) How does the collaboration affect organizational level conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 2) How does the collaboration affect individual conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 3) What processes are effective in facilitating collaboration, and 4) What processes are effective in extending the reach of the resource materials developed for the training workshops. Initial data analysis revealed that the training format was successful in increased participant knowledge of conservation practices, fostered individual information exchange and communication, fostered inter-organizational collaboration, and resulted in the development of a few new butterfly conservation programs at participating institutions.
Publications
- Daniels, J. C. 2010. Reintroduction of the Miami blue butterfly, Florida, USA. In Soorae, P. S. (ed.) Global Re-introduction Perspectives: Additional case-studies from around the globe (pp. 25-28). IUCN/ SSC Re-introduction Specialist Group, Abu Dhabi, UAE, xii + 352 pp.
- Daniels, J.C. and S. Takiela. 2010. Wildflowers of Florida: Field Guide. Adventure Publications, Cambridge, MN. 428 pp.
- Daniels, J.C., 2010. Review of Insect Species Conservation, by T.R. New, Florida Entomologist 93: 663.
- Saarinen, E.V. J.C. Daniels and J.E. Maruniak. 2009. Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri). Molecular Ecology Resources 9:242-244.
- Daniels, J.C. 2009. Cooperative conservation efforts to help recover and endangered south Florida butterfly. Insect Conservation and Diversity 2: 62-64. Trager, M. and J.C. Daniels. 2009 Ant tending of Miami blue butterfly larvae (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): Partner diversity and effects on larval performance. Florida Entomologist 92: 474-482. Trager, M. D., B. M. Boyd, J. C. Daniels and J. A. Pence. 2009. Host plant selection, larval survival and reproductive phenology in Megathymus yuccae (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Environmental Entomology 38: 1211-1218.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Butterfly Gardening. in J.L. Capinera (ed) Encyclopedia of Entomology Vol. 2, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. pp. 675-683.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Florida Butterfly Encounters (SP 466). IFAS Communication Services, Gainesville, FL.
- Saarinen E.V. and J. C. Daniels. 2012. Using museum specimens to assess historical distribution and genetic diversity in an endangered butterfly. Animal Biology 62: 337-350.
- Warren, V. J.C. Daniels and D.A. Hahn. 2011. Aquatic Respiration as a Potential Survival Mechanism of Brephidium pseudofea (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Larvae to Intertidal Environments. Environmental Entomology 40:1295-1302.
- Trager, M.D. and J.C. Daniels. 2011. Size effects on mating and egg production in the Miami blue butterfly. Journal of Insect Behavior 24: 34-43. Saarinen E.V. J. D. Austin and J. C. Daniels. 2010 Genetic estimates of contemporary effective population size in an endangered butterfly indicate a role for genetic compensation. Evolutionary Applications 3: 28-39.
- Malone,K.C., Wilber,W., Hansen,G.,Daniels,J.C., Larsen,C. and Momol, E. 2010. Community ButterflyScaping: How to Move Beyond Butterfly Gardening to Create a Large-Scale Butterfly Habitat. EDIS Publication #ENH1160.
- Zhong, H., L.J. Hribar, J.C. Daniels, M.A. Feken, C. Brock and M.D. Trager. 2010. Aerial ultra-low-volume application of naled: Impact on non-target imperiled butterfly larvae (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) and efficacy against adult mosquitoes (Aedes taeniorhynchus). Environmental Entomology 39: 1961-1972.
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Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities accomplished included field monitoring, population assessment and targeted research on several common and imperiled butterflies. Efforts focused on: 1) conservation breeding and ecology of the Florida imperiled atala butterfly (Eumaeus atala); 2) population ecology, habitat preference, fire ecology and surveys of the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus); 3) remote island surveys of the federally endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri); and biodiversity surveys of butterflies on conservation land holdings throughout Florida. The later surveys were completed as part of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN). Products disseminated included a Florida Wildflowers and Butterflies brochure highlighting 50 common wildflowers and 50 common butterflies. Information regarding Florida wildflowers and specifically their intimate connection to insect pollinators and butterflies was presented at the 2011 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (4 talks), Florida Native Plant Society Chapters (6 talks), 2011 Florida Small Farms Conference, and various local community group talks or presentations. Additional educational and outreach programs designed to foster an increasingly environmentally aware public included the release of an IPhone application called Nature Viewing along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife trail. The smartphone application features searchable profiles for 106 butterfly species, 200 bird species, 247 flowering plant species, provides list and map of all 491 Great Florida Biding and Wildlife Trail sites, and information about Florida's unique habitats and current conservation concerns. The next project included the development of several professional training workshops on Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management aimed at science professionals. One workshop was developed and completed during the current reporting period. It was held at the Chicago Academy of Sciences' Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Products developed included a web portal (www.imperiledbutterflies.org) and workshop-specific curricula. An end product (book) will be produced entitled Butterfly Conservation in North America, to be published by Springer Publishing in 2013. PARTICIPANTS: The following individuals were involved with the projects. Dr. Jaret Daniels served as the overall Principal Investigator and program director for the Florida butterfly Monitoring Network, Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management, and as Co-PI for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Dr. Betty Dunckel served as PI for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail and as Co-PI for Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management. Sandy Koi was a graduate assistant who worked on the atala butterfly conservation research. Matthew Thom worked on the frosted elfin as part of his dissertation work. Partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network included some 18 zoos, conservation lands and organizations. Lowry Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Brevard Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Merritt Island NWR, Camp bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Florida Forever Lands, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Ulmay Wildlife Sanctuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzus National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Partner organizations involved with the Maimi blue butterfly conservation, monitoring and research included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, USFWS, NPS, and Florida DEP. Project partners for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Wildflower Foundation. Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management partners included the Oregon Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens,Chicago Academy of Sciences'Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Butterfly Conservation Initiative and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A total of 25 other science professionals from zoos, botanical gardens, museums, state agencies, US Army, NGOs, and nature centers are regular participants in this program TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the basic educational components of the projects are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, extension agents and partner staff members. Information is disseminated via educational products such as the Florida Butterflies and Wildflowers brochure, talks, and other related outreach activities. The target audiences for the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include zoological institution staff, volunteers and members, state conservation land managers, and the general public. Information is disseminated via regular classroom and field training activities and printed curricula/training documents. The target audience for Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is the general public, specifically Florida residents or visitors. Science content is delivered through talks, workshops, activities and smartphone applications. The target audiences for the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management are professionals from natural history museums, zoos, and botanical gardens and other conservation organizations that are: 1) currently engaged in imperiled butterfly conservation or recovery, or 2) initiating, planning, or considering the development of a butterfly conservation or recovery program. Efforts are made to reach the target audiences through web and print materials, public talks and seminars, field and lab-based workshops and training courses, and papers at meetings and conferences. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN), Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, and Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management (IBCM) represent the primary public educational and professional training programs. Several expected benefits for FBMN participants are summarized. For citizen scientists: 1) Increased awareness and knowledge of butterflies; 2) Increased appreciation for natural Florida; 3) Increased environmental engagement; 4) increased stewardship incentive; 5) Increased community involvement; 6) contribution to a conservation biology project; and 7) Collaboration with peers, professionals and scientists. For partner organizations: 1) Increased community outreach; 2) Increased understanding of the needs of different audiences and ways to engage them; 3) Increased staff enrichment; and 4) Increased partnerships. Results demonstrated that the majority of initial participants completed the training workshops, were successful at learning and implementing the protocols, showed a strong commitment to regular site monitoring, and gained added benefit and enjoyment from more intimate mentoring relationships. Particularly important was exposure of participants to natural areas and wildlife in their communities. For Nature Viewing Along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, the goals were to introduce the general public to common Florida wildlife, encourage them to visit conservation areas, and provide an informative overview of Florida habits, factoids and conservation issues in an informal and searchable manner while they were outside. The overall goal of IBCM is to strengthen institution and staff capacity to play a strategic role in insect conservation and recovery. Objectives are to: 1) improve staff practices; 2) promote broader information exchange between professionals and institutions; 3) foster institutional collaboration and institution-wildlife agency interaction, and 4) strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation programs. This collaboration framework is of interest because of their potential applicability to other training programs. We will examine organizational and individual perspectives on the collaboration, as well as the procedural structure. Evaluation questions to be explored include: 1) How does the collaboration affect organizational level conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 2) How does the collaboration affect individual conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 3) What processes or structures are effective in facilitating collaboration, and 4) What processes are effective in extending the reach of the resource materials developed for and resulting from the training workshops. The overall data analysis will be completed in 2011-2012.
Publications
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Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities accomplished included field monitoring, population assessment and targeted research on several common and imperiled butterflies. Efforts focused on: 1) conservation breeding, organism reintroduction, population monitoring and assessment of the state-endangered Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri); 2) population ecology, habitat preference and surveys of the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus); 3) biodiversity surveys of butterflies on conservation land holdings throughout Florida. The later surveys were completed as part of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN). Involving 18 partners, data is reported and logged into a UF database. Products disseminated included a Florida Wildflowers and Butterflies brochure highlighting 50 common wildflowers and 50 common butterflies. Over 106,000 brochures were disseminated during this reporting period via the Florida Museum of Natural History to extension agents, garden clubs, master gardeners, other institutions/organizations and the general public. Information regarding Florida wildflowers and specifically their intimate connection to insect pollinators and butterflies was presented at the 28th Annual Florida Master Gardener Continued Training Conference; the Atlanta Botanical Garden Science Cafe; Florida Wildflower Foundation's 2010 Wildflower Symposium; and to several Florida Museum docent training sessions. Additional educational and outreach programs designed to foster an increasingly environmentally literate public included Call: Fostering Understanding of the Nature of Science was funded by NSF as a one-year, proof-of-concept project (DRL-0916623). This collaborative includes the Florida Museum of Natural History and IFAS Extension, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, and Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The overall goal was to develop content and activities delivered by visitors' own mobile phones that would engage them in various elements of the nature of science (NOS) and thus foster their understanding. The objectives were to address the following issues in informal science education: (1) how to promote learning about the NOS; 2) the effectiveness of mobile phones for increasing interest, motivation for learning, engagement, information access in outdoor settings, and learning both during and after the zoo visit; and (3) the impact of broadening the meaning of the NOS within an institution. Project deliverables included one mobile phone activity and two smartphone applications. Both Call the Wild apps are currently available through the app store (http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/). Information on this project was disseminated to a wider professional audience at the 2010 International Zoo Educators' Conference in Orlando, FL. The next project included the development of several professional training workshops on Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management aimed at science professionals. Two workshops were developed and completed during the current reporting period. They were held at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and at the Oregon Zoo. Products developed included a web portal (www.imperiledbutterflies.org) and workshop-specific curricula. PARTICIPANTS: The following individuals were involved with the projects. Dr. Jaret Daniels served as the overall Principal Investigator and program director for the Florida butterfly Monitoring Network, Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management, and as Co-PI for Call the Wild. Dr Betty Dunckel served as PI for Call the Wild and as Co-PI for Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management. Mathew Trager was a graduate assistant who worked on the Miami blue butterfly conservation research and as the Science Coordinator for Call the Wild. Matthew Standridge and Geoff Gallice served as student laboratory technicians for assistance with live butterfly culture and assisted in the field as necessary. Matthew Thom worked on the frosted elfin as part of his dissertation work. Partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include Lowry Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Brevard Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Merritt Island NWR, Camp bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Florida Forever Lands, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Ulmay Wildlife Sanctuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzus National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Partner organizations involved with the Maimi blue butterfly conservation, monitoring and research included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, USFWS, and Florida DEP. Project partners for Call the Wild included the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, AZA, Institute for Learning Innovation and Odysseus Mobile Technology. Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management partners included the Oregon Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens,Chicago Academy of Sciences'Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Butterfly Conservation Initiative and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. A total of 25 other science professionals from zoos, botanical gardens, museums, state agencies, US Army, NGOs, and nature centers are regular participants in this program. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the basic educational components of the projects are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, extension agents and partner staff members. Information is disseminated via educational products such as the Florida Butterflies and Wildflowers brochure, talks, and other related outreach activities. The target audiences for the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include zoological institution staff, volunteers and members, state conservation land managers, and the general public. Information is disseminated via regular classroom and field training activities and printed curricula/training documents. The target audience for Call the Wild is zoo visitors. Science content is delivered through mobile phone content, activities and smartphone applications. The target audiences for the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management are professionals from natural history museums, zoos, and botanical gardens and other conservation organizations that are: 1) currently engaged in imperiled butterfly conservation or recovery, or 2) initiating, planning, or considering the development of a butterfly conservation or recovery program. Efforts are made to reach the target audiences through web and print materials, public talks and seminars, field and lab-based workshops and training courses, and papers at meetings and conferences. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN), Call the Wild, and Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management (IBCM) represent the primary public educational and professional training programs. Several expected benefits for FBMN participants are summarized. For citizen scientists: 1) Increased awareness and knowledge of butterflies; 2) Increased appreciation for natural Florida; 3) Increased environmental engagement; 4) increased stewardship incentive; 5) Increased community involvement; 6) contribution to a conservation biology project; and 7) Collaboration with peers, professionals and scientists. For partner organizations: 1) Increased community outreach; 2) Increased understanding of the needs of different audiences and ways to engage them; 3) Increased staff enrichment; and 4) Increased partnerships. Results demonstrated that the majority of initial participants completed the training workshops, were successful at learning and implementing the protocols, showed a strong commitment to regular site monitoring, and gained added benefit and enjoyment from more intimate mentoring relationships. Particularly important was exposure of participants to natural areas and wildlife in their communities. For Call the Wild, both the mobile phone components and information content was evaluated. The mobile phone medium and content was enthusiastically received by a segment of the zoo visitors during evaluations. Advanced functions such as apps appear to be most appealing to zoo visitors. Teaching and evaluating understanding of the nature of science (NOS) is a complex task. The project work indicates that when engaged in such activities, visitors do make connections between NOS concepts and the scientific work at zoos. The NOS concepts must be explicit and the assessments must be carefully designed to examine visitor understanding of those concepts rather than eliciting answers containing science facts that individuals may be more accustomed to providing. The overall goal of IBCM is to strengthen institution and staff capacity to play a strategic role in insect conservation and recovery. Objectives are to: 1) improve staff practices; 2) promote broader information exchange between professionals and institutions; 3) foster institutional collaboration and institution-wildlife agency interaction, and 4) strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation programs. This collaboration framework is of interest because of their potential applicability to other training programs. We will examine organizational and individual perspectives on the collaboration, as well as the procedural structure. Evaluation questions to be explored include: 1) How does the collaboration affect organizational level conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 2) How does the collaboration affect individual conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 3) What processes or structures are effective in facilitating collaboration, and 4) What processes are effective in extending the reach of the resource materials developed for and resulting from the training workshops. The overall data analysis will be completed in 2011.
Publications
- Trager, M.D. and J.C. Daniels. 2010. Size effects on mating and egg production in the Miami blue butterfly. Journal of Insect Behavior. DOI10.1007/s10905-010-9234-8.
- Zhong, H., L.J. Hribar, J.C. Daniels, M.A. Feken, C. Brock and M.D. Trager. Aerial ultra-low-volume application of naled: Impact on non-target imperiled butterfly larvae (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) and efficacy against adult mosquitoes (Aedes taeniorhynchus). Environmental Entomology. (2010 in press)
- Saarinen E.V., J. D. Austin and J. C. Daniels. 2010 Genetic estimates of contemporary effective population size in an endangered butterfly indicate a role for genetic compensation. Evolutionary Applications 3: 28-39.
- Daniels, J.C., 2010. Review of Insect Species Conservation, by T.R. New, Florida Entomologist 93: 663.
- Daniels, J.C. 2010. Wildflowers of Georgia: Field Guide. Adventure Publications, Cambridge, MN.
- Malone,K.C.,Wilber,W., Hansen,G.,Daniels,J.C., Larsen,C. and Momol, E. 2010. Community ButterflyScaping: How to Move Beyond Butterfly Gardening to Create a Large-Scale Butterfly Habitat. EDIS Publication #ENH1160.
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Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities accomplished included field monitoring, population assessment and targeted research on several imperiled butterfly taxa. Specific efforts focused on: 1) conservation breeding, organism reintroduction, population monitoring and assessment, myrrmecophily, and mate choice in the state-endangered Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri); 2)population ecology, habitat preference and field surveys of the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus); 3) ovipositional preferences, host use and larval survival in the yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae); and 4) biodiversity surveys of butterflies via Pollard transect counts on partner-owned and state conservation land holdings throughout Florida. The later surveys were completed as part of the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network. Events for this component program included field and laboratory workshop training on butterfly identification and survey protocol for over 80 staff members and citizen scientist volunteers in Florida. Additional training events were conducted in Ohio for the Cox Arboretum and Metro Parks system in Dayton, Ohio. Partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include Lowry Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Brevard Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Merritt Island NWR, Camp bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Florida Forever Lands, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Ulmay Wildlife Sanctuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzus National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Data and impacts from the program were presented as an oral paper at the 2009 AZA Annual meeting in Portland, OR. Additional products disseminated included a Florida Wildflowers and Butterflies brochure highlighting 50 common wildflowers and 50 common butterflies. Over 92,000 brochures were disseminated in 2009 via the Florida Mueseum of Natural History to extension agents, garden clubs, master gardeners, other institutions/organizations and the general public. A second program component included the development of a series of professional training workshops on Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management that targeted zoo and aquarium staff, museum professionals, university faculty, state wildlife agency staff, NGO staff, and nature center professionals. A total of 25 scholarships were provided for participants to attend 5 national workshops between 2008 and 2011. The workshop curriculum is progressive in nature and provides detailed training on conservation breeding, research and restoration techniques for imperiled butterfly recovery. Two workshops were completed during the current reporting period. They were held at the Toledo Zoo (Toledo, OH) and at the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL). Products developed for this component program included a web portal (www.imperiledbutterflies.org). PARTICIPANTS: The following individuals were involved with the project. Dr. Jaret Daniels served as the overall Principal Investigator and program director. Dr. J.Akers Pence served as the state program coordinator for the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN)and assisted with participant training, site scouting, site surveys and program maintenance. Partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include Lowry Park Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Brevard Zoo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Merritt Island NWR, Camp bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Florida Forever Lands, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Ulmay Wildlife Sanctuary, Guana Tolomato Matanzus National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Emily Saarinen was a graduate research assistant who concentrated on the molecular ecology of the state-endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebaker) for her Ph.D. research. She completed her Ph.D. in December 2008. Matthew Trager is a graduate student who worked on the ant association and interactions with the state endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) for his Ph.D. research. Bret Boyd served as a field and laboratory technician responsible for living butterfly culture, maintenance and field research assistance. Matthew Standridge and Geoff Gallice served as laboratory technicians for assistance with live butterfly culture. Dr. Betty Dunckel served as Co-PI for the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management (IBCM) project. Additional project partners included the Oregon Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens,Chicago Academy of Sciences'Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Butterfly Conservation Initiative and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the educational components of the projects are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, extension agents and partner staff members. The target audiences for the professional training components of the program are professionals from natural history museums, zoos, and botanical gardens that are: 1) currently engaged in imperiled butterfly conservation or recovery, or 2) initiating, planning, or considering the development of a butterfly conservation or recovery program. Efforts are made to reach the target audiences through web and print materials, public talks and seminars, field and lab-based workshops and training courses, and papers at meetings and conferences. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network (FBMN) and Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management(IBCM)represent the two main educational and training component programs. Several expected benefits for FBMN participants are summarized below. For citizen scientists these included: 1) Increased awareness and knowledge of butterflies; 2) Increased appreciation for natural Florida; 3) Increased environmental engagement; 4) increased stewardship incentive; 5) Increased community involvement; 6) contribution to a conservation biology project; and 7)Collaboration with peers, professionals and scientists. For partner institutions and organizations these included: 1) Increased community outreach; 2) Increased understanding of the needs of different audiences and ways to engage them; 3) Increased staff enrichment; and 4)Increased institutional partnerships. Results from the FBMN program thus far demonstrated that the majority of initial participants completed the training workshops, were successful at learning and implementing the protocols, showed a strong commitment to regular site monitoring, and gained added benefit and enjoyment from more intimate mentoring relationships. Particularly important was exposure of participants to natural areas and wildlife in their communities. We have had additional conversations with the National Phenology Network and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to potentially utilize existing legacy data and protocols for a larger national butterfly monitoring effort or network. With regard to the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management program, the overall goal is to strengthen institution and staff capacity to play a strategic role in the emergent and increasingly important field of insect conservation biology, specifically imperiled butterfly conservation and recovery. The specific objectives are to: 1) improve staff practices through technical training, resources, and mentoring; 2) promote broader information exchange between professionals and institutions; 3) foster institutional collaboration and institution-wildlife agency interaction, and 4) strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation programs. ICBM also provides a model for developing a large collaboration to design and implement a butterfly conservation and recovery training program. The collaboration frameworks in this model are of interest because of their potential applicability to other training programs. We will examine organizational and individual perspectives on the collaboration, as well as the procedural structure. Evaluation questions that will be explored include: 1) How does the collaboration affect organizational level conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 2) How does the collaboration affect individual conservation biology knowledge, skills, and partners 3) What processes or structures are effective in facilitating collaboration and 4) What processes are effective in extending the reach of the resource materials developed for and as a result of the training workshops Survey data from the first two workshops are currently being analyzed.
Publications
- Trager, M.D. and Daniels, J.C. 2009 Ant Tending of Miami Blue Butterfly Larvae (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): Partner Diversity and Effects on Larval Performance. Florida Entomologist 92(3): 474-482.
- Trager, M. D., Boyd,B.M., Daniels, J.C. and Pence, J.A. 2009. Host plant selection, larval survival and reproductive phenology in Megathymus yuccae (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). Environmental Entomology 38 (4): 1211-1218.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Florida Butterfly Encounters. IFAS Communication Services, Gainesville, FL.
- Aerial ultra-low-volume application of naled:Impact on non-target imperiled butterfly larvae and efficacy against adult mosquitoes. 2009. Zhong, H., Hribar, L.J., Daniels, J.C., Feken, M.A., Brock, C., and Trager, M. D. Environmental Entomology (pending).
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities accomplished for the project include field monitoring, assessment and targeted research on several imperiled Florida butterfly taxa. Specific efforts focused on: 1) conservation breeding, organism reintroduction, molecular ecology, population biology and dynamics, ant symbionts, and field surveys of the state-endangered Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri); 2) population ecology, ovipositional preferences, ant associations, and field surveys of the frosted elfin (Callophrys irus) in north Florida; 3) ovipositional preferences and host usage by the yucca giant-skipper (Megathymus yuccae); and biodiversity surveys of butterflies via Pollard transect counts on partner institution-owned properties and conservation lands throughout Florida; partners include the Brevard Zoo, Central Florida Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Lowry Park Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, Merritt Island NWR, and Florida Forever lands. Site scouting was completed at EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Brevard Museum, Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary, Lori Wilson Park, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Sweetwater Park, and Chinsegut Nature Center. Events included field and lab workshop training on butterfly identification and survey protocols for over 210 staff members and citizen scientist volunteers. Additionally posters and papers were presented at the First International Wildlife Reintroduction Conference and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums National Meeting. Products developed include the Florida Butterfly Monitoring website (www.flbutterflies.net). This site represents the information, training and database portal for the statewide butterfly monitoring and citizen science program created to develop and store long-term survey data. Dissemination included a series of butterfly-based lectures to a collective 2008 audience of over 300 individuals. Additionally, a Florida Wildflowers and Butterfly brochure- an educational product highlighting 50 common butterflies and 50 common wildflowers of Florida- was distributed via the Florida Museum of Natural History or by mail to extension agents, garden clubs, nurseries and individuals. The intended audience is the general public, master gardeners, master naturalists, and schools. In 2008, over 140,000 brochures were distributed. PARTICIPANTS: The following individuals were involved with the overall project: Dr. J. Akers Pence served as the state program coordinator for the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network and assisted with participant training, site scouting, site surveys and program maintenance; Bret Boyd served as a graduate laboratory and field technician responsible for living butterfly culture maintenance and field research assistance; Emily Saarinen is a graduate research assistant who has concentrated on the molecular ecology of the state-endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) for her Ph.D. research; and Matthew Trager who is a graduate student and has concentrated on the ant associations and interactions with the state-endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) for his Ph.D. research. The partner organizations involved with the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network include Lowry Park Zoo, Disney's Animal Programs, Central Florida Zoo, Brevard Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, the Florida Fish and Wildlife conservation Commission, Florida Forever, Merritt Island national Wildlife Refuge, Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center, EELS Maritime Hammock, Ahhochee Hill Sanctuary, Cockroach Bay Preserve, Brevard Museum, Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary, Lori Wilson Park, Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Sweetwater Park, and Chinsegut Nature Center. The Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network provides training in butterfly identification, field surveys and data gathering for partner staff members and volunteer citizen scientists. TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audiences for the educational components of the project are the general public, schools, youth, master gardeners, master naturalist, extension agents and partner staff members. Efforts are made to appropriately reach the target audience to outreach and education, public talks and seminars, educational resource dissemination, and organized training laboratory and field training workshops at partner facilities. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The Florida Butterfly Monitoring (FBMN) represents the main educational and training program. The initial pilot program has been extremely successful and has led to several positive outcomes as evidenced by the citizen scientist and staff participation. Several expected benefits for the participants in the Butterfly Monitoring Network are summarized below. For citizen scientists these included: 1. Increased awareness and knowledge of butterflies; 2. Increased appreciation for natural Florida; 3. Increased environmental engagement; 4. Increased stewardship incentive; 5. Increased community involvement; 6. Contribution to a conservation biology project; and, 7. Collaboration with peers, professionals, and scientists. For the partner institutions and participating organizations these included: 1. Increased community outreach; 2. Increased understanding of the needs of different audiences and ways to engage them; Staff enrichment; and Increased institutional partnerships. Results from the FBMN program demonstrated that the majority of initial participants completed the training workshops, were successful at learning and implementing the program protocols, showed a strong commitment to regular site monitoring, and gained added benefit and enjoyment from the more intimate mentoring relationships. Particularly important was the exposure of participants to natural areas and wildlife in their communities. Initial participation also demonstrated significant institution and public interest in the overall pilot program, thereby providing a solid foundation and program model for expansion.
Publications
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Checklist of Florida Butterflies. University of Florida/IFAS.
- Saarinen, E.V., Daniels, J.C. and Maruniak, J. E. (2008). Development and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the endangered Miami blue butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri). Molecular Ecology Resources (in press).
- Daniels, J.C. (2008) Cooperative conservation efforts to help recover and endangered south Florida butterfly. Insect Conservation and Diversity (in press)
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. 50 Common Butterflies of Florida. University of Florida/IFAS.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Butterfly Watching Basics. University of Florida/IFAS.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. Florida Butterfly Gardening. University of Florida/IFAS.
- Daniels, J.C. 2008. The amazing life of butterflies. Florida Wildlife, July/August.
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