Friday, December 18, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
December's Featured Wisconsin Endangered Species: Regal Fritillary
In this winter season, when days grow shorter and light grows less intense, we bring light to the darkness with the celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. I chose the Wisconsin endangered Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) as my December species, one of the largest most beautiful temperate North American butterflies (here’s where I found the photo I based my poster drawing on http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/courses/introconsbio/Regal_fritillary.jpg ), as my way to brighten your life these winter days! So, here’s wishing you Holidays filled with light and a transformative New Year!
1. The Regal Fritillary is unique among butterflies in that it lays its eggs near its larvae’s host plants, the arrowleaf, birdsfoot, and prairie violets, rather than on them. So, it lays more eggs than butterflies that lay their eggs directly on their larvae’s hosts!
2. Tall grass prairie was once the Regal’s home. Since most of the tallgrass prairie has been destroyed due to our conversion of prairie to agricultural land in the 1800s, the Regal is now found in declining numbers, in declining habitat - large grassland areas with prairie remnants or lightly grazed pasture lands with prairie vegetation, along with hills and valleys. Land in Crawford, Columbia, Green, Iowa, Portage, and St. Croix Counties meet the Regal’s requirements.
3. What are the threats to the Regal’s existence? Development and intensive agriculture.
4. How can the Regal Fritillary be saved? By a two-pronged approach. We need to properly manage its remaining habitat, and protect more habitat.through buying land or conservation easements. The most common prairie management technique, controlled burns, has led to a decline in Regals and other rare butterflies. Instead, management by light grazing, infrequent mowing and/or localized brush cutting has helped Regals flourish.
1,823 acres containing Regal habitat in the Military Ridge area is being preserved through collaboration amongst The Nature Conservacy, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, WI DNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, Blue Mounds Area Project and The Prairie Enthusiasts.
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=3592
In 2007, The Driftless Area Land Conservancy purchased the development rights for the Kenneth Powell family farm, containing 327 acres near the Nature Conservancy’s Barneveld Prairie Preserve, 18 of which is a high quality tallgrass prairie remnant, with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (a USDA program) and the WI DNR’s Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2007/011707/wisdrifrpp.html
In 2008, the state of WI’s Stewardship Program gave a $405,200 grant to Nature Conservancy WI to purchase 153 acres of land in the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage area, in order to expand Thomson Prairie, which had been pegged for residential development
.http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=3592
5. What can you do to help save the Regal Fritillary? Tell people about its rarity, its beauty, and why it is in such a sorry state. Let everyone know why you think endangered species are important. Our human communities can never be complete without our natural communities. When you are considering what gifts you will give to friends and family, think of the Regal Fritillary and the other animals and plants in WI that are most in need! Volunteer with and donate to the environmental organizations of your choice. The WI DNR (most of my info on the Regal is found here http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=info&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEPJ6040 and you can find info on how to help the WI DNR here http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/how_you_can_help.htm ) as well as the Madison Audubon Society http://madisonaudubon.org/audubon/index.htm and Madison’s John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/ are on my list!
1. The Regal Fritillary is unique among butterflies in that it lays its eggs near its larvae’s host plants, the arrowleaf, birdsfoot, and prairie violets, rather than on them. So, it lays more eggs than butterflies that lay their eggs directly on their larvae’s hosts!
2. Tall grass prairie was once the Regal’s home. Since most of the tallgrass prairie has been destroyed due to our conversion of prairie to agricultural land in the 1800s, the Regal is now found in declining numbers, in declining habitat - large grassland areas with prairie remnants or lightly grazed pasture lands with prairie vegetation, along with hills and valleys. Land in Crawford, Columbia, Green, Iowa, Portage, and St. Croix Counties meet the Regal’s requirements.
3. What are the threats to the Regal’s existence? Development and intensive agriculture.
4. How can the Regal Fritillary be saved? By a two-pronged approach. We need to properly manage its remaining habitat, and protect more habitat.through buying land or conservation easements. The most common prairie management technique, controlled burns, has led to a decline in Regals and other rare butterflies. Instead, management by light grazing, infrequent mowing and/or localized brush cutting has helped Regals flourish.
1,823 acres containing Regal habitat in the Military Ridge area is being preserved through collaboration amongst The Nature Conservacy, the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service, WI DNR, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pheasants Forever, Blue Mounds Area Project and The Prairie Enthusiasts.
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=3592
In 2007, The Driftless Area Land Conservancy purchased the development rights for the Kenneth Powell family farm, containing 327 acres near the Nature Conservancy’s Barneveld Prairie Preserve, 18 of which is a high quality tallgrass prairie remnant, with funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (a USDA program) and the WI DNR’s Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program. http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/thisweek/2007/011707/wisdrifrpp.html
In 2008, the state of WI’s Stewardship Program gave a $405,200 grant to Nature Conservancy WI to purchase 153 acres of land in the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage area, in order to expand Thomson Prairie, which had been pegged for residential development
.http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=3592
5. What can you do to help save the Regal Fritillary? Tell people about its rarity, its beauty, and why it is in such a sorry state. Let everyone know why you think endangered species are important. Our human communities can never be complete without our natural communities. When you are considering what gifts you will give to friends and family, think of the Regal Fritillary and the other animals and plants in WI that are most in need! Volunteer with and donate to the environmental organizations of your choice. The WI DNR (most of my info on the Regal is found here http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/biodiversity/index.asp?mode=info&Grp=9&SpecCode=IILEPJ6040 and you can find info on how to help the WI DNR here http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/how_you_can_help.htm ) as well as the Madison Audubon Society http://madisonaudubon.org/audubon/index.htm and Madison’s John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/ are on my list!
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