{"id":13692,"date":"2016-10-28T13:43:21","date_gmt":"2016-10-28T13:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsmit.org\/?page_id=13692"},"modified":"2023-09-25T21:25:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T01:25:33","slug":"monarch-tagging-and-butterfly-moth-identification","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gsmit.org\/community-science\/monarch-tagging-and-butterfly-moth-identification\/","title":{"rendered":"Butterfly Education Program"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Butterfly Education Program<\/h1><\/span>
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Who doesn\u2019t love running around in a sunny field with a butterfly net? The Smokies are home to nearly 2,000 species of butterflies, skippers<\/em><\/span><\/span>skippers<\/span>Moths, skippers, and butterflies can all be differentiated by their unique antennae shape. Butterflies and skippers both have little clubs at the top of their antennae, but skippers have a distinct tapering of the clubs into little hook shapes.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, and moths, including the famous Monarch Butterfly. Every year, Eastern Monarchs migrate en masse to Mexico for the winter, and we would like to learn more about their migration and population status by monitoring them. This free educational program engages participants in monarch natural history, community science, identification of local butterflies, and connection to place in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.<\/span><\/p>\n

Age Group: Any age. Children under 18 need an adult guardian in attendance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seasonality: Annually each fall. Dates are published in early September.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

Why it Matters<\/h1><\/span>
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Butterflies are important insects that are pollinators and prey, and provide inspiration to those who notice them. For Monarchs in particular, tagging helps us uncover where our Tennessee monarchs overwinter, survival rates along the journey, the timing of the migration, and if their migration changes due to climate change. These beautiful and fascinating insects face many threats, and participating in this educational program helps our community come together to learn how to protect these and other pollinator species in our local ecosystem and beyond.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Butterfly Education Days<\/h2><\/span>
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Connect to the Smokies and these beautiful insects by spending a day catching, tagging, and learning about butterflies with our volunteer educators! We look forward to bringing this unique educational opportunity to our community members each year \u2013 to ensure many different families and individuals can experience this opportunity, please limit your group size to 5.<\/strong> Larger groups can consider booking a private tagging date for a set fee \u2013 see below. <\/span>Please only register for a single date to make space for others.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Registration is required to participate for each member of your group. If you are experiencing difficulty registering due to capacity limits, please try another available date. You will receive a confirmation email once you have successfully registered.<\/span><\/p>\n

2023 Butterfly Education Dates<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<\/div>

September 14 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

September 14 – Hyatt- Full<\/p>\n

September 15 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

September 16 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

September 18 – Sparks- FULL<\/p>\n

September 19 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

September 19 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

September 21 – Sparks- Full<\/p>\n

September 23 – Hyatt- Full<\/p>\n

September 24 – Hyatt- Full<\/p>\n

September 24 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

September 26 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

September 26 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

September 30 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

October 2 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

October 5 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

October 6 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

October 16 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

October 16 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

October 17 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

October 21 – Hyatt- Full<\/p>\n

October 23 – Sparks – Full<\/p>\n

October 27 – Hyatt – Full<\/p>\n

October 31 – Sparks- Full<\/p>\n<\/div>

If the dates you want to attend are full, you can join our waiting list. Email<\/span>\u00a0monarchs@gsmit.org<\/span><\/a> with your name, number, and\u00a0email<\/span> address, the specific date you want to attend, and the number of adult and child participants you’d like to bring.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Donate<\/h2><\/span>
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These fun days in the field are free, but they do come at a cost. \u00a0We invite you to contribute as much or as little as you like to our monarch tagging program. \u00a0You can bring your donation with you on your tagging day, or you can simply visit the link below to donate online. Please write ‘Monarch tagging program’ in the comments section.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Donate for Monarchs<\/span><\/a><\/div>
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Scheduling Private Groups<\/h2><\/span>
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Do you have an organized group of people that you would like to take out monarch-tagging?\u00a0 A ‘group’ could be defined as a scout troop, a home-school cooperative, a special school group, a birthday party, a business retreat, or even a group of friends and family.\u00a0 With our group reservation program, you have a special opportunity to reserve a day for your group of up to 10 people for a flat rate of $200.\u00a0 If you are interested in this opportunity, please email Erin at erin@gsmit.org<\/a> to schedule a date and receive registration details.\u00a0 These dates may differ from the ones listed above.
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Where and when do we meet?<\/h2><\/span>
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At the <\/span>visitor information shelter at the beginning of the Cades Cove driving loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park<\/b>. We usually caravan to the fields.\u00a0 We’ll typically be out for 2-4 hours, ending around 1:30 or 2pm (or later if the weather is nice).\u00a0 You must<\/strong> be registered to join.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

What to Wear<\/b><\/p>\n

Field clothing, especially long pants, and hard, protective shoes.<\/span>
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What to Bring<\/b><\/p>\n

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  • Please bring your signed NPS waiver forms<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Plenty of water<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Lunch and snacks<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sun screen and a hat for protection from the sun<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    Optional Items to Consider Bringing<\/b><\/p>\n

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    • A butterfly net with a big hoop if you have one (don\u2019t go buy one \u2013 we provide these)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Camera, Binoculars<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Butterfly Field Guides<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Bird and Wildflower Field Guides<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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