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June 13, 2018
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MONROE OUTDOORS by Terry W. Johnson
25th Annual local Butterfly Count is June 22
T
(he North Ameri
can Butterfly
Associations
Annual Fourth
of July Butterfly Count has
become the most impor
tant event of the
summer butter
fly season for a
growing cadre of
folks fascinated
by some of our
most beauti
ful and varied
wildlife.
This year
the Piedmont
National Wildlife
Refuge/ Rum
Creek WMA edition of the
count celebrates its 25th
anniversary
The 2018 count will be
held Friday, June 22.
Our local count is one of
more than 300 counts held
across North America each
year during the months
of June and July. For more
than 40 years, the data
collected on these counts
has been used by biologists
to monitor the size and
distribution of more than
700 species of butterflies
found across the continent.
The data is also proving to
be invaluable in assessing
the impacts of changing
weather patterns and land
use.
Each survey is conducted
in the same amount of
TERRY W. JOHNSON
space, a circle measuring
15 miles in diameter. Our
local circle blankets the
Rum Creek WMA and
Piedmont NWR as well as
much of eastern Monroe,
western Jones
and a smidgeon
of Jasper Coun
ties.
The count is
actually carried
out by volunteers
charged with the
responsibility
of canvassing
specific sections
of the count
circle. The goal
of the participants is to
identify as many butterflies
as possible. In most years,
four teams are assigned to
that portion of the count
circle east of the Ocmulgee
River. Depending on how
many people participate,
the Monroe County slice of
the count circle is surveyed
by one or two parties.
Whenever possible the
same people are assigned
to the same survey areas.
This is important, as over
the years they have become
familiar with all of the dif
ferent habitats located in
the part of the count circle
they are responsible for
surveying. Since many but
terflies only inhabit certain
habitat types, this knowl
edge enables the counters
to locate as many
different species of
butterflies as pos
sible.
Last year, 18
counters divided
into five teams
counted 1,983
individual butter
flies representing
64 species.
The list of the
10 species most
often seen during
the 2017 count
were the pearl
crescent (352),
silvery checkerspot
(221), common
buckeye (209),
fiery skipper (174),
hoary edge (73),
eastern tailed-blue
(72), red-banded
hairstreak (67),
sleepy orange (61), Ameri
can lady (54), and Carolina
satyr (54).
As you might expect,
the weather immediately
prior to and during the
count affects the final tally.
Although the weather dur
ing the count was partly
cloudy, during the week
prior to the 2017 count
cloudy skies and daily
showers dominated the
weather. Results might have
been better if sunny skies
and less rain had prevailed
during the week leading up
to the count.
Participants counted 73 hoary edge butterflies like this one in the local
count area last year. (Photo/Terry Johnson)
The number of people
taking part in a count
has a significant impact
on the number of butter
flies seen. While spotting
almost 2,000 individuals
and 64 species of butterflies
sounds fantastic, the truth
of the matter is 18 folks
cannot adequately survey
an area as large as a count
circle.
In hopes of solving this
problem, for years efforts
have been made to recruit
new folks to the count.
Such attempts have been
marginally successful. One
of the reasons recruitment
is so difficult is that many
people who harbor a desire
to take part in a count do
not feel they can identify
enough butterflies to make
a difference.
In truth, many of the
people that now regularly
take part in the count felt
the same way before they
attended their first count.
Now they can identify far
more butterflies than ever
before. The reason for this
is the more experienced
butterfliers of their count
team were more than will
ing to share identification
tips with them.
Another deterrent is the
weather. Counts are held
on days when the humidity
and temperature are high.
This makes being outside
uncomfortable.
Biting and stinging crit
ters all pose a challenge.
It is impossible to wade
into high grass and other
vegetation without com
ing into contact with ticks
and mosquitoes and other
stinging and biting pests.
If you can deal with all of
these irritations, I hope you
will take the plunge and
join us this year. If you do,
dress appropriately, bring
plenty of water, sunscreen,
and insect repellent, as
well as a pair of binoculars
(preferably a pair that is
close focus).
There is also a $3 partici
pation fee that helps offset
the cost of publishing the
annual count results.
If you want to attend, let
me know by Tuesday, June
19.
Terry Johnson is retired
Program Manager of the
Georgia Nongame-Endan
gered Wildlife Program. He
has written the informative
column ‘Monroe Outdoors’
for the Reporter for many
years. Email him at tjwood-
duck@bellsouth. net.
Monroe rec honors 2018 baseball champs
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(Above left) The Dodgers defeated the Rockies in the 811 baseball championship game on June
4. Dodgers team members include: head coach Jake Kime, Jake Beasley, Callen Campfield,
Easton Causey, Kevin Fisher, Carter Ham, Joseph Holmes, Christian Hughey, Brayden Jones,
Thomas Kime, Braylen Sikes, Chazten Stokes, Grayson Thomas and Greyson Trevitt. Rockies
team members include: head coach Lin Mitchell, Kareem Brown, Alden Hammond, Reed Hol
land, Brayson Jones, Jaxson Mercer, Samuel Mitchell, Lawson Newsome, Sam Nickel, Braylen
Perry, James Pippin, Noah Reynolds, Clayton Stephens, Peyton Turner and Nyko Pitts. (At left)
The Rockies defeated the Astros in the 10U baseball championship game on June 4. Rockies
team members include: head coach Justin Turner, Wesley Bowen, Bo Brown, Bennett Buchanan,
Luke Hutchens, Daniel Jungberg, Gabriel Lee, Gavin Mitchell, Mac Nelson, Barrett Turner,
Thomas Ussery and Evan Walker. Astros team members include: head coach Jeremy Cabe,
Bradley Acosta, Gavin Cabe, Aiden Debuc, Baylor Emami, Zack Gay, Josiah Knight, Elijah
Merck, Trenton Short, Andrew Snow, Thomas Tatum, Joseph Thompson and Jordan Mullis.
(Above) The Orioles defeated the Braves in the 12U baseball championship game on June 4.
Orioles team members include: head coach T.J. Riley, Auden Berry, Nhy Boozer, Casyn Easton,
Zachary Grizzard, Colby Hubbard, Andon Riley, Bryce Shelton, Cameron Sparks, Aydon War
ren, Levi Wilcox and Braxton Mays. (Not pictured) 12U Braves team members include: head
coach Wes McAteer, Reagan Beall, Parker Collins, Austin Glenn, Wesley Hanson, Caleb Horne,
Hudson Kight, Malski Knight, Hunt McAteer, Aryan Patel, Jacob Phillips and Dalton Dumas.
(Photos/Keith Edge)
Monroe recto host British Soccer
camp beginning on Monday, July 9
DUMAS
Continued from Front
touchdown gave San Francisco
a 28-27 lead, which the Niners
would hold before going on to
win the franchises first Super
Bowl two weeks later. Clarks
catch, photographed by Walter
Iooss Jr., would be made even
more famous on the cover of
Sports Illustrated later that week
and would be known forever as
“The Catch.”
While the Cowboys would have
to wait 11 more years to capture
the Super Bowl, Montanas Niners
would go on to claim three more
crowns in the 1980s alone. And
Clark, who had 8 receptions for
120 yards and 2 TDs that day,
would spend the rest of his life as
a sports legend.
And so looking back, I would
have loved to have been there to
see Watson chip in on No. 17 at
Pebble, but only after I endured
that 43-degree afternoon at The
Stick with four-year-old Tom
Brady. Times change and seasons
change. The Niners are in Santa
Clara now, Candlestick Park is
no more, and an ugly disease has
claimed the man who made the
most memorable play in the sta
diums vast history. But every time
I turn on the TV and see that
familiar 49ers’ red jersey and gold
pants, I’ll think of Jan. 10,1982,
the day Dwight Clark took to the
sky and made football history.
R.I.P. Dwight Clark.
Players interested in attending
the Monroe County Recreation
Department’s annual British
Soccer Camp can register at
challengersports.com.
This year’s camp will be held
from Monday, July 9 through
Friday, July 13 at the rec depart
ment at 100 Dan Pitts Drive in
Forsyth. The camp will teach
such essential soccer skills as
speed/agility, juggling, foot skills,
passing/control, dribbling and
shooting.
For MiniSoccer players, ages
3-5 years, the camp will be held
from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily with
a cost of $92 per player. For the
Half Day camp for players ages
6-18 years, the camp will be held
from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
daily with a cost of $145 per
player. For the Full Day camp
for players ages 8 to 18 years,
the camp will be held from 9:15
a.m. to 4:15 p.m. daily with a
cost of $205 per player. Also, the
Goalkeeper/Goal Scorer camp
for players ages 7-18 years will
be held from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15
p.m. daily with a cost of $50 per
player. Goalkeeper/Goal Scorer
camp participants must also
sign up for the Half Day camp.
Bonus Golden Goal sessions are
also available Half-Day Camps.
See challengersports.com for
more information.
For more information, call
Daniel Growcott at 678-540-
1586 or e-mail him at dgrow-
cott@challengersports.com.