Our Mission:
The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network engages citizen scientists in the process of collecting quantitative data on butterfly populations. Our goal is to provide data collected with a standardized protocol that allows land managers to evaluate long-term trends in a changing landscape. The Network also offers opportunities for fellowship, mentorship, and continuing education between citizen scientists and professional biologists.
Check out the About Us page to learn more about how to join the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network.
2025 Winter Workshop
The next annual IBMN Winter Workshop will be held on March 8th from 9:30 am to noon! We are offering two ways to attend this year: in person at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum or virtually via Zoom. Come join us to hear our annual IBMN updates, socialize with other monitors, and learn more about how our data are being used.
This year’s guest speaker is Collin Edwards, a modeler and software developer for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Collin led several recent studies assessing the trends of butterfly species and identifying the impacts of habitat management on those trends. He will talk about this work, including presenting information from an upcoming Science publication that used IBMN data to determine butterfly trends across the United States.
Check out our event page for more information or RSVP here!