Hawk Hill and Climate Change

Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands and a Mission Blue Butterfly

Frank Schmidt NPS

Hawk Hill is an important habitat for another one of Golden Gate’s endangered species, the mission blue butterfly. This species inhabits only a few grassland areas on San Francisco Peninsula and Marin County and its larvae only eat the leaves of several species of lupine plants. Its favorite lupine species was recently threatened by a fungal pathogen, which may become more prevalent as the climate warms.

Climate change could also shift critical phases of the butterfly and lupine life cycles are out of synchronization, further threatening the mission blue. Park scientists are currently working to improve mission blue habitat at Hawk Hill and at other locations in the park.