Anyone who has been driving on the roads in central Iowa over the last month has likely noticed an abundance of butterflies this year.

Dallas County Conservation is also aware, and they’re taking advantage to catalogue the colorful pollinators. Conservation Outreach Coordinator Ken Keffer says they have a butterfly survey program that’s ongoing through September, and they’re looking for more volunteers. He points out that they get the best results on days that are 70-degrees or above, sunny, and with calm winds, and as a result, there’s no specific set time for the program. “We do sort of weekly surveys throughout the summer, and so if folks are interested — we don’t know the days on that ahead of time, it’s partly weather-dependent — give us a call at the office. We can give you the heads up ahead of time if you want to join us for some butterfly surveys throughout the season.”

For more information on taking part in the butterfly survey program, stop in or call Forest Park Museum and Arboretum in Perry at 515-465-3577.