Butterflies: April Nature Almanac

For this month’s Nature Almanac, Boulder Naturalist Steve Jones takes us on the trail of April Butterflies and conducts a citizen science test about April butterflies.  Many people have written to Steve, asking whether our unusually warm and dry weather has changed how butterflies are emerging from their winter homes. 

To find out, Steve has chosen a warm day to head up Boulder’s Skunk Canyon, looking for everything from the common cabbage white to more unusual butterflies, such as the cheerful orange painted ladies, plus one medium-sized butterfly Steve has seldom seen throughout his life, known as the Mourning Cloak.  It’s a maroon-brown butterfly with a band of yellow at the edges of its wings . . . yellow complemented with bright blue dots.

Will Steve see a Mourning Cloak?  Tune in to find out, and along the way, listen as Steve shares insights from the book he’s co-authored with Janet Chu, titled “Butterflies of the Colorado Front Range.”  As part of this nature hike, Steve also shares tips about what kind of weather is best for butterfly watching, plus how to “be,” so that butterflies come to you — maybe to be a cabbage white that lands on your ear, or perhaps a little blue that alights on your boot. 

Nature Almanac airs the first Friday of each month on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show featuring in-depth discussions on local news issues. Click here to listen to other episodes of the Morning Magazine.