There was quite a bit of interest with our Facebook posting about The Atlantic magazine article on our local celebrity. In mid-January, the US Fish and Wildlife service reclassified the Fender’s blue butterfly from endangered to threatened. This is impressive since this is only the second insect to have recovered under the Endangered Species Act. Over the last 20 years there has been much collaboration between agencies, groups and individuals to increase awareness and protection for the species, mainly through working to expand the population of its host plant, Kincaid’s lupine. While the butterfly was listed as endangered and receiving ESA protections on public and private land, its host plant only has protections on public land, despite having the threatened status. With only 1% of native prairie habitat remaining in the Willamette Valley, we should be valuing and protecting this habitat on all lands.

Read the US Fish & Wildlife Service press release here.