A Scholarship for the WBA Butterfly Study Weekend
This year we will meet in Goldendale, Washington, June 12-14, 2026.
About WBA
The Washington Butterfly Association (WBA) is a non-profit organization created to promote a better understanding of the natural world through appreciation of our native butterflies. We welcome people of all ages, children to adults. Our organization includes amateur and professional lepidopterists, as well as total beginners and people who think butterflying might be fun and want to learn more.
Atlantis Fritillary Photo by Liz Kuehn
About the scholarship
Each year the Washington Butterfly Association offers up to three Idie Ulsh Young Naturalist Scholarships for our annual Butterfly Study Weekend. The Idie Ulsh Young Naturalist Scholarship Program is named after the Washington Butterfly Association founder Idie Ulsh. It is a chance to enjoy butterflies with people who know and appreciate them.
What’s included
Conference registration fees, two-night lodging, a Program Night meal, round-trip mileage from home to the venue, a copy of the book Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest (by Bob Pyle and Caitlin LaBar), and a one year membership to WBA. The scholarship covers expenses up to $800.
How to Apply
- Download and fill out the application from the link below or from our WBA Website.
- Download and have a parent or legal guardian fill out the minor child liability release.
- Prepare an essay for the application in the space provided or send a Microsoft Word or similar format as a separate attachment.
- Your application may be accompanied by a letter of recommendation.
- Download and complete the application.
- Submit a scanned copy to wabutterflyassoc@gmail.com with the subject line Scholarship or mail it to Washington Butterfly Association, PO Box 31317, Seattle, WA 98103
- Applications must be received by May 15, 2025.
- Award notification and announcement June 1, 2025.
Reasons to Apply
Our Butterfly Study Weekend provides an immersive experience with one and a half days of summer field trips led by expert lepidopterists and dedicated butterfly enthusiasts. Each day you will explore a variety of habitats for the opportunity to observe butterflies, dayflying moths and other insect pollinators; enjoy learning their behaviors and ecologies, “in the field.”
The scholarship is a gift from the Family of our founder, Idie Ulsh, and a way for WBA to hold true to our mission of raising appreciation of butterflies and other pollinators and how vital they are to our own futures – and that of the entire planet.