As the NABA Butterfly Count Program continues to grow, we want to ensure that Counts continue to meet the needs of Count participants, the general public and the scientists who increasingly use the Count data to learn about butterflies. To help us plan for the future and to encourage compilers to conduct even more NABA Butterfly Counts, while at the same time maintaining the traditional focus of the Fourth of July Counts, NABA has initiated the following changes:

Counts conducted in the months of June and July will be called NABA 4th of July Butterfly Counts.

Counts conducted outside the months of June and July will be called NABA Seasonal Butterfly Counts. NABA Seasonal Counts may use a count circle that is also used for NABA 4th of July Counts or may use a new count circle that does not significantly overlap any existing NABA Count circle.

Until now, each count circle could be “officially” censused only once each year. Beginning with the 2007 Counts, compilers may submit more than one count per year for the same circle: One count conducted during the June-July period may be submitted, plus one or more counts conducted before and/or after the traditional June-July period may also be submitted.

NABA Seasonal Butterfly Counts with at least four regular participants (not including garden watchers and children) and at least 6 party-hours of counting will be published as part of the NABA Butterfly Count Report.

A NABA Seasonal Butterfly Count should be submitted only if the compiler believes that a count of that particular circle at that time of year can likely be maintained long term.

Count forms for this year’s count are now available for printing at the NABA website. NABA wants to ensure that all compilers receive 2007 count information. To help us with this goal, if you are able to access and print the 2007 count forms from the links provided below, please hit the reply key to this email. We will then remove you from our list of counts to mail in the US Post for this year, saving NABA both time and expense. Thank you, in advance, for your reply.

The following links will provide you with Adobe Acrobat printable files for all counts:
http://www.naba.org/ftp/naba07us.pdf for US Count forms
http://www.naba.org/ftp/naba07ca.pdf for Canadian Count forms
http://www.naba.org/ftp/naba07mx.pdf for Mexican Count forms

If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader Software, it is available for free at the following link:
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/

If you experience any difficulties in accessing these materials, please contact us by emailing to naba@naba.org

Thank you for your important efforts on behalf of butterflies and best of luck for the 2007 Counts!

Sincerely,

Sharon Wander

NABA Butterfly Count Editor