Cover Photo: Two Dakota skippers sitting on a nectar flower after release. The dark spot on the wing is a mark placed on the wing by the Zoo team to distinguish released butterflies from wild butterflies.

Last month, the Conservation and Research team released a record 219 critically endangered Poweshiek skipperling butterflies at the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve and 51 endangered Dakota skipper butterflies in Manitoba’s Interlake region. With a total of 270 butterflies, this is the highest number of releases since the program’s inception in 2017.

“I am incredibly proud of the hard work of our crew in rearing, releasing, and monitoring hundreds of released butterflies,” said Laura Burns, Conservation Program Manager, Assiniboine Park Conservancy. “Our team, many partners, and volunteers who care deeply for these species on the brink of extinction can be proud of this year’s efforts and the indicators of success that we are seeing.”

Photo: Assiniboine Park Conservancy staff pose with partners from Nature Conservancy of Canada, Shared Legacy, and community members who won a raffle to attend a Poweshiek skipperling release at the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve.

Once bountiful species across the prairies, the Poweshiek skipperlings and Dakota skippers continue to experience low population counts after an abrupt decline in the 1990s and 2000s. While the exact cause is unknown, contributing factors likely include items such as pesticide use and extreme weather events.

Photo: A released Poweshiek skipperling. The green dot was added to the wing by our Zoo team to distinguish it as a released butterfly. (Credit: Kirstyn Eckhardt)

Another likely factor of their decline is habitat loss. With the Poweshiek skipperling and Dakota skipper butterflies’ reliance of grassland ecosystems to survive, it’s also important to help protect these wildlife areas, as over 80% of native prairie land has been converted to other uses. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) works to conserve, maintain, and restore the integrity of high-quality grasslands and wetland to ensure that all wildlife that call these ecosystems home, including these important butterflies, have the space to continue to grow and evolve. 

Being able to partner with organizations such as the NCC is a major key to the success of these releases.

An additional indicator of success observed this year was the team discovered new wild-born Poweshiek skipperling butterflies at the site they were reintroduced by the program last year. This shows positive signs that the butterflies are surviving through the winter and slowly growing in population to repopulate former strongholds.

During the release, several community members from neighbouring towns of the Manitoba Tall Grass Prairie Preserve came to take part. Working alongside local communities, such as the RM of Stuartburn, is very important for continued advocacy for maintaining this important habitat. As well, it can inspire those in the area to take small but impactful initiatives to help support the wildlife in their community.

Assiniboine Park Conservancy looks forward to continuing to work alongside the Nature Conservancy of Canada and other partners in Canada and the US to help support the population growth of these small but mighty butterflies to its bountiful capacity once more.

Taking small steps such as planting pollinating plants, supporting conservation efforts, and reducing pesticide use are all great ways to help our wildlife flourish.  

Learn more about our journey to protect and preserve these precious butterfly species and more on our website.