PSIP members pose along the Agassiz Interpretive Trail at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in southeastern Manitoba, the largest intact block of tallgrass prairie remaining in Canada.

From March 25 to 28, the Conservation and Research Department was pleased to host the annual meeting of the Poweshiek Skipperling International Partnership (PSIP), a cross-border coalition of Accredited Zoos, NGOs, universities, and provincial, state, and federal agencies that works to prevent the extinction of the endangered Poweshiek Skipperling butterfly. During this meeting, we heard successes and challenges from stakeholders in the United States and Canada and discussed all aspects of Poweshiek Skipperling recovery including Zoo-based rearing, habitat management, and genetic monitoring.

The Poweshiek Skipperling is one of three endangered grassland butterflies – two of which are native to Manitoba – whose recovery and conservation are supported by the SAFE Prairie Butterfly, co-founded by the Assiniboine Park Conservancy and the Minnesota Zoo. SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) Prairie Butterfly is a result of a bi-national partnership between AZA-accredited institutions to promote the recovery and conservation of three unique butterfly species within the prairie grassland ecosystem: Poweshiek Skipperling, Dakota Skipper, and Mitchell’s Satyr.

You can learn more about the plight of the Poweshiek Skipperling through our Story Map or by visiting our website.