Butterfly Counters Needed!Butterfly Pavilion Partners w/JCOS

Butterfly Counters Needed! Butterfly Pavilion Partners with Jeffco Open Space

Jeffco Open Space is excited to announce a new partnership with Westminster’s Butterfly Pavilion to monitor and track butterfly populations. The monitoring program is hosted by the Butterfly Pavilion’s Colorado Butterfly Monitoring Network and will take place in several Jeffco Open Space Parks.

Your help is essential. Openings are now available for volunteers to assist in a new project monitoring Colorado butterfly populations in parks and open spaces. Volunteers will be able to choose an Open Space and trail to monitor from a list of parks where butterflies are typically found. They will observe and record butterflies along a set census route at least six times between May 15 and September 30, 2014. Each monitoring shift may take anywhere from ½ to 2 hours and requires a commitment of at least one field season (May to September). The Butterfly Pavilion will report the findings to Jeffco Open Space at the conclusion of the study.

To prepare, volunteers will be required to attend a full day of training on April 27th or May 7th at Butterfly Pavilion, in order to learn native butterflies and the methods of collecting and entering data. After training, volunteers will be expected to have a firm grasp of the 25 regionally common butterfly species and how to observe them in the field. This project is a fun way to learn about native fauna while exploring Jeffco Open Space.

For more information please contact Lisa Kluesner ( ) or Sean Kluesner ( ) at Jeffco Open Space. Contact Sarah Garrett ( ) or Amy Yarger ( ) at Butterfly Pavilion. To learn more about other Jeffco Open Space Volunteer opportunities, attend our Open House event on Saturday, Feb. 15th between 10AM and 2PM and speak with volunteer coordinators about many exciting projects and programs. (Open Space Administration: 700 Jefferson County Parkway, Ste. 100, Golden, CO)

The Jeffco Parks Department is comprised of Jeffco Open Space, the Fairgrounds, CSU Extension, Boettcher Mansion and Weed and Pest. Open Space, the largest division, was founded as a land conservation organization in 1972 and preserves natural and cultural resources, provides quality outdoor recreation experiences and promotes sound environmental stewardship. Jeffco Open Space is funded with a one-half of one-percent sales tax that has protected over 52,000 acres and created 28 regional parks and 227 miles of trails in Jefferson County.

Contact: Thea Rock, Communications Manager
303-271-5902,