Exploring the Karner Blue Easement with iNaturalist
George DeWolf
Hi Everyone,
Steve's recent report on the emergence of Elfins at the Karner Blue site reminded me that this location—the Karner Blue Conservation Easement (KBCE)—is now defined as a "Place" in iNaturalist.
This is a great tool for checking what’s currently flying before you make the trip. It’s quite easy to use iNaturalist to "scout" the area from home. As many of you know, the KBCE is the only spot in the state where you have a reasonable chance of observing the Karner Blue, Frosted Elfin, Edwards’ Hairstreak, and Cobweb Skipper, and it’s a fantastic location for many other species.
How to Explore the KBCE on iNaturalist:
On the Web:
In the header search box (top left, next to the logo), enter “KBCE” or “Karner Blue Conservation Easement.” Note that iNaturalist "places" are not recognized in the "Location" box in the web version.
Select the Karner Blue Conservation Easement from the results and click “View Observations.”
From here, you can filter for specific taxa (e.g., enter "Butterflies") or set specific date ranges to see what was flying during the desired period (for example, click here to see what research-grade butterfly observations have been made at the easement in May).
In the iNaturalist App:
Tap the Explore button (magnifying glass icon) at the bottom.
Tap the location bar at the top (which usually defaults to “Nearby”) and search for “KBCE.”
Tap “Karner Blue Conservation Easement (KBCE), NH, US.”
To narrow your search, tap the Filter icon (the dark gray sliders/square in the upper right). You can then filter by "Butterflies" or specify months/dates to see seasonal trends.
A Note on Field Ethics: Given the vulnerability of the species and the sensitive wild lupine habitat, please remember to tread lightly and leave your nets in the car. Because the Karner Blue is a federally endangered species, any netting in the easement can be a legal issue—digital "netting" with your camera is the best way to go!
Help Me Build Our Database: If there are other publicly accessible sites you frequent for butterflies that haven't been defined in iNaturalist yet, please let me know. If you can provide a map or a link to the property boundaries, I’m happy to look into creating a "Place" for it so we can all benefit from the collective data.
Happy observing,
George