Sunday, July 27, 1997
Butterfly enthusiasts take part in first-ever
count
By JOHN STARBUCK / Abilene Reporter-News
On the prowl near the Abilene State Park swimming pool, Scott
Null keeps his eyes peeled for any slight movement.
Suddenly, the youngster, armed with a net, sets his sights
on the target.
No, it's not a bird or a rattlesnake; it's a butterfly.
After capturing the insect, Null is surrounded by others wanting
to get a glance at its colorful wings. After reading their butterfly
book to try and identify the catch, the group gives Null the okay
to release the creature back into the wild.
Moments later, another butterfly gracefully hovers in the shade
of trees while its picture is taken.
Heading to another location where butterflies are thought to
be gathered, the group pulls over after someone sees one near
the road leading to the park entrance.
But the sighting is all for naught as spotters are unable to
find the butterfly in the woods after exiting their car.
Chasing butterflies and trying to catch and identify them was
part of the fun during Abilene's first-ever butterfly count.
"It was really fun, especially at the State School because
we were out on the trails and we were catching butterflies and
arguing over 'it was this; no, it was that,' " said participant
Veronica McCollum.
"It took all of us to make a decision about what kind
(of butterfly they had) because we didn't know enough about it,"
added Cathy Franklin. "It surprises you how many different
varieties there are."
"You always get out in nature and you want to learn to
see what's around you," said McCollum, a teacher at College
Heights Elementary. "You don't know what's around you; you
don't know how to identify. I thought this would be a fun way
to come out and you learn something so the next time you go you
can teach it to someone else."
While identifying the butterflies was hard enough, it was more
difficult trying to catch them.
"The kids were our catchers," said Franklin, a Long
Elementary teacher. "They just needed a little training."
Considering that 19 different species were identified during
the five-hour trek from the Abilene Zoo parking lot to the State
Park, event organizer Marcus Mullings said he was pleased with
the results.
The butterfly seen most often by hunters was the Empress Antonia,
which is orange with white and black dots.
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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