This summer Bob Hardwick, WBA’s Research Coordinator, and a team of WBA volunteers are assisting the State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Nature Conservancy in a survey on the Fort Lewis U.S. Army base south of Tacoma. The purpose of the survey is to search for three butterlly species of special concern: Polites mardon (Mardon skipper), Euphydryas editha taylori (Taylor’s checkerspot), and Icaricia icariaides blackmorei (Puget blue).

WBA has been assigned to study three prairie areas on the base. On their first trip, the WBA team studied two of the three sites. The first is known as the “airstrip” because it is located next to an abandoned airplane airstrip, now for paratroop training. The prairie there has been restored by Fort Lewis foresters who burned the area three years ago to get rid of the Scotch Broom.

The trip was considered very successful, since the team saw a great diversity of prairie wildflowers and no scotch broom. They were encouraged by finding a healthy population of Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Silvery Blue) in the area, and a lone Celastrina argiolus (Spring Azure). Bob Hardwick sees great potential for this area later in the summer, since larval food plants for the Puget Blue, Anise Swallowtail, and Edith’s Checkerspot were all present. Grasses were also abundant for possible skipper sightings.

The second site is located on South Creek, about 1/2 mile away from the airstrip. This area was burned a few years ago and has been mowed to control the Scotch Broom. This area also has great potential for butterflies. On the first visit the team observed a healthy population of the Silvery Blue, a ringlet, and Milbert’s Tortoiseshell. With the findings of violets, paintbrush and lupine as well as a diversity of grasses, they have high hope for this site as the season progresses. The third site is the “Triangle”, which is a prairie between South Creek and Muck Creek

As of press time, the WBA team had not seen any of the target species. However, it was too early for the Puget blues, and the Nature Conservancy team had found healthy populations of P. mardon a part of the study area off-limits to WBA (the artillery impact area).

According to Bob Hardwick, “We have seen first hand the great job the Conversancy is doing in restoring the prairie lands. They have been actively burning and mowing prairie areas to rid them of the Scotch Broom, which can totally destroy a prairie. They also have introduced butterfly food plants into the prairie such as paintbrush and lupines to encourage their spread throughout the prairie. The Conservancy is working hard to set aside as much land as the government will allow so the lands will have a maximum chance of being restored. We have seen healthy populations of the Silvery Blue in all of the prairies we have seen, and in most places the ringlet is also present. We will continue to work throughout the summer to see how the prairie changes with the seasons.”

The team is looking for more members. The tentative schedule is to study the area every 10 to 12 days until fall. Since the butterfly species emerge at different times of the season, the area will be constantly changing. They plan to make most visits during the week, so as not to conflict with regular WBA field trips.

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