North American Butterfly Association

[NEWisc]

Anyone interested in butterflies should get to know the North American Butterfly Association:
http://www.naba.org/

The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) is, by far, the largest group of people in North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico) interested in butterflies. We are a membership-based not-for-profit organization working to increase public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies. We are working to save butterfly species throughout North America (recent grants have helped the endangered Schaus' Swallowtail in Florida and contributed to developing a long term survival plan for Monarchs) and developing educational programs about butterflies for schools and park rangers and naturalists. NABA has convinced the U.S. Army to conduct further studies before implementing a plan that would destroy the last known colony of Regal Fritillaries east of the Mississippi River.
Our publications are changing the way people view butterflies, teaching them how to find butterflies, how to identify them, how to create successful butterfly gardens, and how to photograph them. Your involvement with butterflies will help to bring beauty and satisfaction to your life.

If they have a chapter in your area, it's a great way to get started with butterflies.
http://www.naba.org/chapters.html

They also have some excellent regional publications on butterflies that will help you get started with the butterflies in your area.
http://www.nababutterfly.com/guide_index.html

For many years, NABA has offered a set of butterfly gardening brochures written specifically for various regions of the United States. These regional brochures may be accessed by clicking on the yellow buttons on the map below. We are in the process of updating these brochures and converting them to regional butterfly gardening guides that will emphasize the use of native butterfly garden plants. The new, updated butterfly gardening guides will be posted on the map below, noted with a blue button, as they become available.

They have also started a Butterfly Gardening and Habitat Program:

http://www.nababutterfly.com/

There's even an opportunity to get your butterfly garden certified by the North American Butterfly Association:
http://www.nababutterfly.com/cert_index.html
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[hazelnut]

thanks for the information. I am just starting to plant. I hope to attract some to my place. I haven't seen any though. This is "cotton poison" country and things like frogs have disappeared.

[NEWisc]

Hazelnut - This brochure should be helpful for your area. They are a little weak on their native host plants, but I think you will still find some good ideas to start with here.

http://www.naba.org/ftp/nwfl.pdf

These brochures from the NABA can really save some time when you're just getting started.

[hazelnut]

Thanks NEWisc. Ive got 2 acres and essentially all of it needs to be planted.

Lots to learn!

[Cirsium]

The North American Butterfly Association has continued to update their site - it looks like the word on native plants is really beginning to get some long overdue attention.

[Equilibrium]

They have a new habitat program. I found this funny, "Many flowering plants will attract butterflies to your location, but not all flowers are created equally in the compound eyes of a butterfly."

[bigbike4]

Just checked the state and county map for how many butterfly species frequent and live here-at least part of the year. I had no idea-OVER 75 species! Butterflys use to be common back up in Delaware County PA when I was a kid, but due to building and destruction of habitat, they were seldom if ever seen since I was in my teens.

Then I moved down south, and began to truly enjoy the outdoors around here. The vivid colors of the butterflys and the various shapes and sizes of them amazed me. If for no other reason I am planting native species to attract more of them to my somewhat rural setting. After all when beneficial insects are brought in, they do what no man made in the lab result can ever be-better living thru 100% natural means.

I hope I can get some pictures of butterflys on some of the flowers around here later this year. It would be nice. The oranges, yellows, blues, blacks, greens on these creatures are just lovely.

[TheLorax]

If for no other reason I am planting native species to attract more of them to my somewhat rural setting. After all when beneficial insects are brought in, they do what no man made in the lab result can ever be-better living thru 100% natural means.

Not only will you be attracting them, you may be responsible for the survival of many of them. Way to go bigbike4.

[bigbike4]

Originally Posted by TheLorax

Not only will you be attracting them, you may be responsible for the survival of many of them. Way to go bigbike4.

She Steps back and graciously receives applause-nah, just doing what any sane responsible human being would do-try to leave this world a slightly better place than when I came into it.

[TheLorax]

(clap clap clap) Our world seems to be devoid of sanity lately. At least we wildlife gardeners can add a little back.