Program Overview:
Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management (IBCM) is an intensive cross-training program designed to strengthen the capacity of institutions and their staff to play a strategic role in the emergent and increasingly important field of insect conservation biology, with a targeted focus on imperiled butterfly recovery.
Impacts from habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change continue to accelerate the rate of biodiversity loss and necessitate increased and often aggressive conservation action. Zoos, natural history museums, botanical gardens, and state and federal wildlife agencies are progressively focusing on insects, particularly charismatic groups such as butterflies and pollinators, to help advance local conservation efforts and foster increased environmental stewardship, science literacy and community engagement. However, insufficient experience and familiarity with insects prevent staff and institutions from adequately planning, implementing and evaluating conservation activities. The three-year IBCM program directly addresses this critical gap by focusing on institutional and staff development.
Participants will learn the latest techniques, resources and tools available in the field. This increased knowledge base will enhance existing imperiled butterfly programs, facilitate the development of new programs, and advance overall local conservation efforts. Successful conservation programs and an informed staff further improve institutional capacity to deliver accurate and relevant environmental education programs and foster increased public interest and community engagement.
Led by the Florida Museum of Natural History’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the University of Florida and the Butterfly Conservation Initiative, IBCM is a broad partnership that also involves the Chicago Academy of Sciences’ Peggy Notebart Nature Museum; the Oregon Zoo in Portland, OR; the Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio; Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami, FL; the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in Silver Spring, MD, and theUniversity of Florida IFAS Department of Entomology and Nematology.
IBCM was funded by a grant from Institute of Museum and Library Services 21st Century Museum professionals program. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.
