Citizen Science Projects to Help Butterflies

Carolina Butterfly Monitoring Project:

The Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program (CarBMP) aims to track butterfly populations using scientifically sound, standardized survey methods as well as opportunistic sightings across both North and South Carolina. This Community Science based program partners with non-profit and government organizations, offers public outreach, encourages interaction between the general public and professional biologists, and provides data to researchers evaluating the health of habitats and insect populations in the Carolinas.

iNaturalist

iNaturalist helps you identify the plants and animals around you while generating data for science and conservation. Get connected with a community of millions scientists and naturalists who can help you learn more about nature! What’s more, by recording and sharing your observations, you’ll create research-quality data for scientists working to better understand and protect nature.

Monarch Watch Monarch Tagging

The Monarch Watch Tagging Program is a large-scale community science project that was initiated in 1992 to help understand the dynamics of the monarch's spectacular fall migration through mark and recapture. Each fall this organization distributes more than a quarter of a million tags to thousands of volunteers across North America who tag monarchs as they migrate through their area. These "community scientists" capture monarchs throughout the migration season, record the tag code, tag date, sex of the butterfly, and geographic location then tag and release them. At the end of the tagging season, these data are submitted to Monarch Watch and added to our database to be used in research.