2023 Annual Butterfly Count, Manassas Circle

Despite the rainy weather that stubbornly lingered until the afternoon, our dedicated team of butterfly counters braved the raindrops. We may have counted fewer butterflies, but it didn't damped our spirits! After all, what's being outdoors without a little unpredicitabile weather!?

This count is part of a national program led by the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), which compiles information about butterfly populations and distribution that is used to study effects of climate and habitat change on North American butterflies. We've been hosting this count since 2017. Help us keep this program going by donating today!

Every year, on the 3rd Sunday in July, we form teams and see how many butterflies we can find within our count circle. We submit our compile results to NABA's national database for butterflies. We are also seeking tips on specific areas to survey - please contact us at [email protected] if you have suggestions.

The Manassas Circle of the Annual Butterfly Count covers 113,000 acres centered on Manassas Airport. To view our survey area on Google Earth, use the coordinates 38.724270, -77.500466 as the center point for a circle with a 7.5 mile radius.

Many thanks to our leaders: Larry Meade, Judy Gallagher, Matt Myers, Amy Wilson, and Valerie Huelsman! And to our supporting volunteers: Maxine Fulkerson, Morgan Velten, Patrick Wamsley, Eli Hosen, Jean Beard, Gary Myers, Cheryl Hancock, Janine Lawton, Kevin Parker, and Mike Sullivan.

Enjoy our program Jewels on the Wing: Butterflies of Summer with Larry Meade! >>watch here