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The New Mexico Butterfly Monitoring Network (NMBMN) was created in 2020 to help monitor and track the conservation needs of butterflies throughout the state. In March, the network added a survey route in Las Cruces, monitored by the nonprofit Asombro Institute for Science Education (AISE) at their outdoor classroom, the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park (CDNP), AISE said in a news release.
"To understand the health of butterfly populations across the state, we have slowly been expanding the reach of NMBMN,” said Anna Walker, species survival officer for invertebrate pollinators at the New Mexico BioPark Society, which runs NMBMN. “The route at CDNP is the first in the Chihuahuan Desert basins and Playas ecoregion, so it will pick up many butterfly species that are unique to this region."
The new survey route covers 1.17 miles along the trails at CDNP, the release said. It passes through four habitat types with more than 1,500 feet in elevation gain. AIHE educators Natalie Wells and Marissa Bowler walk the survey route every two to three weeks to count and identify butterflies within six meters of the trail, AISE said. They have documented 14 butterfly species despite this summer’s unusually hot and dry weather.
“As beautiful as they are to look at and observe, butterflies also serve as an important indicator for invertebrate populations and the overall health of the habitats in which they live,” AISE said.
“There are a massive number of invertebrate species in the state of New Mexico and for a lot of species, we don't even have the basic information that we need to ensure populations are stable,” Walker said. “With the help of community scientists, through the NMBMN network, we are beginning to fill data gaps, and in the future, we will be in a much better place to address the conservation needs of butterflies and other invertebrates.”
Through the butterfly monitoring project, AISE and NMBMN hope to gather more data to share with the public, inspire others to take an interest in butterflies and help stakeholders to make informed decisions about the health of butterflies and their habitats, AISE said.
CDNP trails and picnic pavilions are open to the public free of charge 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Located at 56501 N. Jornada Road, CDNP is about 15 miles northwest of downtown Las Cruces via U.S. Highway 70 and north Jornada Road.
For more information about AISE and CDNP, call 575-524-3334 and visit www.asombro.org.
