ANNUAL REPORT FOR FY 2016
(November 1, 2015-October 31, 2016)
Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association
Mission. To advocate for butterflies and their habitats through conservation, education, and recreation.
Conservation activities. The North American Butterfly Association (NABA) monitors population and distribution of butterflies in the U.S. by conducting one-day butterfly counts during the year. SEABA members Fred Heath, Mary Klinkel, and Karen Nickey coordinated 5 of the 7 counts, listed below, that were held in southeastern Arizona in FY16. Coordinator’s names are in parentheses:
Apr. 3: Sabino Canyon Spring Count (Mary Klinkel)
July 16: Sabino Canyon Summer Count (Karen Nickey)
July 23: Portal Count (Fred Heath)
July 31: Santa Rita Mountains Summer Count (Mary Klinkel)
Aug. 1: Ramsey Canyon Count (Doug Danforth)
Aug. 8: Portal Count (Rich Bailowitz)
Oct. 2: Santa Rita Mountains Fall Count (Mary Klinkel)
The following SEABA members participated in counts as observers (the number of counts in which each person participated is in parentheses): Fred Heath (7), Tom Deecken (6), Mary Klinkel (5), Bill Beck (4), Mary Kay Eiermann (4), Bill and Mary Adams (3), Lori and Mark Conrad (3), Larry Fellows (3), Ken Kertell (3), Pam Mowbray-Graeme (3), Sharon Overstreet (3), Gerry and Vicki Wolfe (3) Sharon Atwell (2), Cindy Bethard (2), Brian McKnight (2), Doug Mullins (2), Diane Touret (2), Bob Behrstock and Karen LeMay, Priscilla Brodkin, Jill Johnson, and Karen Nickey.
Education activities. Education activities consist primarily of hosting monthly meetings with speakers, maintaining a website to inform members and the public, and participating in special events related to butterflies and their habitats. Eight monthly meetings, all open to the public, were held at the Tucson Botanical Gardens.
Our new SEABA website was launched in September. Created by Yvonne Bourgeois, with assistance from Gerry Wolfe, Vicki Wolfe, and Sharon Overstreet, the new website substantially advances the versatility and appearance of the previous site. The site is accessed at www.seaba.org.
The annual Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF) held its annual Fair at the community center March 2-5. SARSEF was organized to empower K-12 students to participate in science, technology, engineering and math through inquiry-based learning and research. SEABA members Sharon Atwell, Fred Heath, Karen Nickey, and John Rhodes volunteered to judge Fair entries. SEABA also contributed financial support to SARSEF.
Tumacácori National Historic Park (TNHP) hosted a pollinator-focused BioBlitz August 20 in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial. More than 100 citizen scientists, together with members of partner organizations, recorded more than 265 species of pollinators, including birds, butterflies, bats, and others. Gerry Wolfe, Vicki Wolfe, Karen Nickey, Sharon Overstreet, and Mary Klinkel, who represented SEABA, met at TNHP at 8:00 a.m., spent the day surveying the grounds for butterflies, and observed 34 species.
The Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona sponsors the Arizona Insect Festival annually to acquaint the public with insects and activities of their department, in general. This event, held September 18 in the Grand Ballroom of the Student Union on the University campus, attracted thousands of attendees, primarily young Arizonans and their parents. SEABA members Fred Heath, Doug Mullins, Sharon Atwell, Cindy Bethard, Karen Nickey, and Sharon Overstreet assisted the public at the SEABA booth by answering questions about butterflies of Arizona.
Recreation (and education) activities. SEABA members led 15 field trips, all open to the public. These trips contribute to both the education and recreation of club members and guest. With the exception of one trip to the Flagstaff area, all others were in southeastern Arizona. Trip participants saw 129 different species of butterflies and skippers in southeastern Arizona. Butterflies seen on the field trips can be viewed on the SEABA website, www.seaba.org
Executive Committee. The Executive Committee (ExCom), which includes officers, executives at large, and committee chairpersons, met 9 times. All but two of the meetings were prior to SEABA monthly meetings. SEABA members at the May 17 meeting elected the following persons:
President, Larry Fellows (1-year term)
Vice-president, Gerry Wolfe; (1-year term)
Treasurer, Priscilla Brodkin (re-elected for 1-year term)
Executive at Large: Yvonne Bourgeois (3-year term ending May 2019)
Secretary: Sharon Atwell was elected at the September 20 meeting for a 1-year term.
Executives at Large elected in prior years (date term expires):
Bill Adams (May 2017)
Mary Adams (May 2017)
Yvonne Bourgeois (May 2019)
Karen Nickey (May 2018)
Sharon Overstreet (May 2018)
Appointed Committee chairpersons and others who serve 1-year terms:
Education: Fred Heath
Membership: Cindy Bethard
Hospitality: Gerry Wolfe
Website Editor: Gerry Wolfe
Publicity: Vicki Wolfe
2016 Annual Report submitted by: Larry D. Fellows, SEABA President, December 2016