Spiva Butte Preserve - Douglas County

#### June 8 TBD

This beautiful Preserve was significantly impacted by fire in September of 2020, and the Land Trust would like an update on what butterflies are currently present. It is an opportunity to observe the recovery status five years after the fire. Hopefully we will find the Silver-bordered Fritillary, a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The fire burned 100% of the property and eliminated big sagebrush, the plant that provides critical cover and food for sage grouse. Replanting of sagebrush and native plants has been ongoing. This prime shrub-steppe habitat previously had a four-acre lake, three springs, a diversity of birds, plants, animals and butterflies in addition to the sage grouse lek nearby. On earlier visits prior to the fire we had documented Silver-bordered Fritillary flying in good numbers along with the Garita Skipperling, Coronis Fritillary, Northern Crescent, Arrowhead Blue, Ruddy Copper, Large Marble, Sheridan’s Hairstreak, Western Green Hairstreak, Blue Copper, and more.
Difficulty: Level 3-4, mostly off road through recovering shrub steppe and up the butte for hill topping butterflies.
The number of participants to be allowed will be determined by the Preserve soon.
Melanie Weiss
[tl_MelanieW@wabutterflyassoc.org](mailto:tl_MelanieW@wabutterflyassoc.org)