Lake Sunapee Butterfly Count

The Lake Sunapee Butterfly Count is an annual event that occurs each July.  Four to five small groups (minimum of four people each group) will cover 3-4 designated conservation properties over a 4-6 hour period with a group guide. Properties include inactive farm fields, an inactive ski hill property,  private conservation fields, woodland, wetland, and bogs. 

All are welcome, regardless of butterfly knowledge or experience. All participants must arrive at designated starting point on time. No pets are allowed. Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult for the entirety of the day. Driving or carpooling will occur between locations.   

Please bring what you need to to be "in the field" for the day - sack lunch, water, sunscreen/tick prevention, outdoor attire, hat with visor, watch, cell phone, medications (e.g. epi-pen). Also bring what what you may need to assist with identifications such as field guide, butterfly net (if you have one), camera, petri dish (if you have one), cell phone, and/or camera.

During the month of July, join the NH Butterfly Monitoring Network to complete a collaborative butterfly survey count across New Hampshire! Volunteers will meet in various parts of the state on a given day to complete an organized survey in a 15-mile diameter count area. A coordinator will help to organize participants providing locations to visit, maps, and datasheets. Participants will work in small teams, providing a great opportunity for learning and connecting with other butterfly enthusiasts while spending the day counting butterflies for a national dataset. Throughout the course of the day, each team will visit 2-4 sites, exploring fields, woodlands and wetlands to observe which species and how many individuals are present. Over time, these results can be used to monitor changes in butterfly populations and study the effects of weather and habitat change on North American butterflies. All butterfly enthusiasts are welcome, with or without prior experience!