Spot the Checkerspot

why it's important:

My project Spot the Checkerspot involves restoring butterfly habitat and educating people about this endangered butterfly. Since wetlands have become a scarce resource I plan to identify existing wetlands and will plant flat-topped aster and other native wetland plants that butterflies love. I will get other kids to help me plant to I can teach them about this rare butterfly. Also if they have helped dig and mulch they will be motivated to help take care of the gardens in the future. I hope that just because the butterfly hasn't been seen, this doesn't mean that it has entirely vanished. That's why educating people is so important. Through presentations at schools and nature centers, I will explain the butterfly's habitat and life cycle to students and adults. I will also work with the education department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, making presentations at their teacher workshops and creating educational materials for their traveling curriculum kits. I will also submit a proposal to the Ohio Division of Wildlife to have the Harris Checkerspot listed as an endangered species in Ohio.
This addresses the problem because by educating the public about this butterfly they will recognize it as a rare species, they may plant its food source in their yards, and they may be willing to preserve any wetlands on their property instead of draining or filling them. In addition restoring habitat will not only benefit this butterfly but also many other wetland species.

the plan of action:

One of the things that I've been doing for the past year is restoring habitat by planting flat-topped aster and assorted native wildflowers in a variety of butterfly gardens. I applied for and received a Wild School Site grant from the Ohio Division of Wildlife this past winter which provided seed, plant, mulch, and gardening supplies money. In May I planted my first butterfly garden at Hawken Upper School, with the help of several fellow students. A few weeks later, I planted flat-topped asters with a group of third, fourth, and fifth graders at Lindsey Elementary School in Chesterland, Ohio in their new wetland area. I also planted flat-topped asters and swamp milkweed at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes with the Butterfly Blitz campers.
In addition to planting, I'm visiting schools, nature centers, and a farmers market, educating people about the Harris' Checkerspot. In May, I talked with the Hawken fifth graders before they went on their overnight camping trip to Camp Asbury, in Hiram. This was particularly exciting because Camp Asbury is the only place there has been a recorded sighting of the Harris' Checkerspot in the last five years. I made ID cards for each student that had pictures of the butterfly, its caterpillar, and flat-topped asters. I made educational presentations to the Lindsey Elementary School and to the campers at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes. In June, I provided ID lanyards and made a presentation to a group of museum members from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History who hiked with naturalists in the Grand River Terraces. No Checkerspot butterflies were found that day. Finally, on July 5, I set up a display and handed out butterfly garden brochures to interested shoppers at the North Union Farmers' Market, in Shaker Square.
My goals are to restore habitat and raise awareness of this beautiful butterfly. My timetable for the next 9 months is:
September- submit listing proposal to the Ohio Division of Wildlife that is co-written with David Kriska, Biodiversity coordinator for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
October- attend and present to teachers at a conference sponsored by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
October-December- create curriculum materials: butterfly identification booklets and Harris' Checkerspot diorama.
Spring- order flat-topped aster plants and plant.
May-June- sponsor hikes to search for the butterfly and present to Hawken 5th graders before their Camp Asbury trip.

how you can get involved: