The annual Dorothy Hoard Butterfly Count is set for Saturday and beginners, experts and everyone in between are invited to participate.

 

Participants will honor the memory of local environmentalist Dorothy Hoard by gathering for the count in three locations around the Pajarito Plateau:

 

New Mexico butterfly expert Steve Cary will be present to help identify butterflies and discuss their life histories.

 

The first count is 9-10:45 a.m. at the Burnt Mesa Trailhead in Bandelier, of N.M. 4. The group will move on to Camp May, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., to have lunch. The final stop is 1:45-3:15 p.m. in Cañon de Valle along N.M. 501. Butterfly counters are welcome to stay for the whole day or opt to only count at some locations.

 

Born and raised in the upper midwest, Cary earned his B.S. and M.S. from the Geography Department at the University of Wisconsin. He arrived in New Mexico in 1980 and began a 30-year career in environmental protection and natural resource management. Butterflies have always been Cary’s passion, and he has published scientific and popular articles on these amazing creatures. Through countless walks and talks around the state, he has become New Mexico’s unofficial butterfly guy. New Mexico Magazine published his book, Butterfly Landscapes of New Mexico, in 2009. Having concluded his career in New Mexico state government in 2010, Cary is now the Operations and Resource manager at the Randall Davey Audubon Center in Santa Fe.

 

Registration is required for this event, and admission is free for kids and $5/adult. Please bring binoculars, cameras, nets, sturdy walking shoes, lunch and water. Some nets will be provided.

 

For more information about these and other Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) programs, and to register for the count, visit www.peecnature.org, email programs@peecnature.org or call 505.662.0460.