Pinnacles National Monument - Butterfly Counts at Pinnacles National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)

The 2009 Pinnacles Butterfly Count Weekend will be on June 6-7, 2009. Join us on Saturday for a ranger-led walk and campfire program. On Sunday, we welcome you to participate in our annual butterfly count.

Each year around the first weekend in June, right about at the peak butterfly season, Pinnacles National Monument holds a butterfly count. We spend the day counting all the butterflies we can find within a 15-mile diameter circle centered in the monument.

The 2008 Pinnacles Butterfly Count was a success, with 42 species (our highest ever) and 2531 individual butterflies counted. Look at our table of butterfly count results for more information. Thanks to everyone who participated! The information gained from these counts helps to monitor butterfly populations within the monument as well as across the continent. This is one of the many ways that we protect the Natural Resources of Pinnacles National Monument for the enjoyment of many generations to come.

Have you ever seen a thousand butterflies in a day? Or 25 different kinds of butterflies in a day? We invite beginners and experts alike to join us for the annual butterfly count. Those who know butterflies can lead groups to areas we wouldn’t be able to survey otherwise. Those who don't know butterflies can help by recording data and spotting butterflies for others to identify. We spend the entire day hiking and counting butterflies. It is hard work, both mentally and physically, but ultimately it is rewarding and inspiring. Your participation can make a difference.

You can prepare for the butterfly count by looking at field guides to familiarize yourself with the species listed in the Checklist of Butterflies of Pinnacles National Monument. Although more than 60 species are found here, pay special attention to those that are most common in May and June. And, of course, you can take a visit to Pinnacles to get some practice before the count. If you would like information about participating in future counts, please contact Paul Johnson at e-mail us or (831) 389-4485 ext.271.