ANNUAL REPORT, Fiscal Year 2017
Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA)
Mission. To advocate for butterflies and their habitats through conservation, education, and recreation.
During Fiscal Year 2017 (November 1, 2016-October 31, 2017) members carried out this mission by providing monthly meetings, leading field trips, maintaining the SEABA website, participating in North American Butterfly Association (NABA) counts, and other activities described below.
Monthly meetings. Eight monthly meetings, all open to the public, were held. The November 15 meeting, first of the fiscal year, was at Tucson Botanical Gardens; the remainder were in the Lutheran Church of the Foothills on the 4th Tuesday of each month. Meeting attendance ranged from 20-30. Speakers and topics are listed in Appendix A.
Field trips. Members led 19 field trips, all open to the public. One three-day trip was taken to the White Mountains area; the rest were one-day trips in southeastern Arizona. Trip participants saw 128 species of butterflies and skippers during the year. Field trips are listed in Appendix B and posted on the SEABA website.
NABA counts. NABA monitors population and distribution of butterflies in the U.S. by conducting annual one-day butterfly censuses in the Santa Catalina, Santa Rita, Patagonia, Huachuca, and Chiricahua mountain areas in southeastern Arizona during spring, summer, and fall months. SEABA members Fred Heath, Mary Klinkel, and Karen Nickey were compilers for 5 of the 7 counts. Many SEABA members participated as census takers. Dates and locations of the counts are listed in Appendix C.
SEABA website. Yvonne Bourgeois, with assistance from Gerry Wolfe, Vicki Wolfe, and Sharon Overstreet, created the website (www.seaba.org). It provides information about SEABA’s organization and mission, monthly meetings, field trips, NABA butterfly counts, special events, and butterfly-related reference sources. Gerry Wolfe served as website editor.
Arizona Insect Festival. The Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona sponsors this event annually to acquaint the public with insects and activities of their department, in general. The festival, held October 1 this year on the University campus, attracted thousands of attendees, including many 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.
Executive Committee. The Executive Committee (ExCom), which includes officers, executives at large, and committee chairpersons, met 8 times. All but one of the meetings immediately preceded SEABA monthly meetings.
SEABA members at the May 23 meeting elected the following officers:
President, Larry Fellows (re-elected for 1-year term)
Vice-president, Gerry Wolfe (re-elected for 1-year term)
Secretary (vacant)
Treasurer, Priscilla Brodkin (re-elected for 1-year term)
Executives at Large at yearend (date term expires):
Sharon Overstreet (May 2018)
Vacant (May 2018)
Yvonne Bourgeois (May 2019)
Vacant (May 2019)
Vacant (May 2020)
Vacant (May 2020)
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
Brodkin Award. The ExCom reviewed and updated provisions of the Hank and Priscilla Brodkin Award. The Award, which may be presented subject to the provisions defined, is included as Appendix D.
Larry D. Fellows, SEABA President, December 2017
Appendix A. SEABA Programs and Topics, FY 2017
Date Subject of presentation – Speaker
2016
Nov. 15 Damselflies and Dragonflies of Arizona and Sonora - Rich Bailowitz
2017
Jan. 24: The Best of the Best: Butterflies from around the World – Elaine Halbedel
Feb. 28: Amazing Ants in the Sonoran Desert – Kim Franklin
Mar. 28: Cuba: Butterflies, Birds, Old cars, and Socialism – Pat and Dick Carlson
Apr. 25: NABA Annual Meeting – Sharon Overstreet and Karen Nickey
May 23: Members’ night and election of officers
Sep. 26: Bolivia: Butterflies and Birds – Priscilla Brodkin
Oct. 18: Arizona Hairstreaks: an Overview – Bill Beck
Appendix B. SEABA Field Trips, FY 2017
Date Location (species seen) Trip leader/s [Attendees]
Jan. 31: Molino Basin (5) M. Klinkel [ 9]
Feb. 10: Sabino – Tour de Mistletoe (8) M. Klinkel [6]
Feb. 25: Hirabayashi Campground (5) L. Fellows [ 6]
Mar. 4: Pima Canyon (14) C. Bethard [ 5]
Mar. 10: Sabino Canyon (21) M. Klinkel [ 5]
Mar. 17: Hirabayshi Campground (33) L. Fellows [ 6]
Apr. 2: Pena Blanca Lake (34) G. & V. Wolfe [ 9]
Apr. 22: Box Canyon (30) G. & V. Wolfe [ 9]
Apr. 30: Catalina State Park (33) M. Klinkel [11]
May 12: Catalina Mystery (30) M. Klinkel [ 2]
Jun. 2: Catalina Hairstreaks (27) M. Klinkel [ 8]
Jul. 30-Aug.1. White Mountains (54) D. Touret [11]
Aug. 5: Patagonia area (33) F. Heath [ 9]
Aug. 20: Sycamore Canyon (47) L. Fellows [10]
Aug. 30: Hirabayashi Campground (36) M. Klinkel [ 9]
Sep. 17: Garden Canyon (53) M. Klinkel [ 2]
Oct. 8: Garden Canyon (32) C. Bethard [12]
Oct. 10: Garden Canyon (35) M. Klinkel [ 2]
Oct. 29: Patagonia, Rabbitbrush (31) L. Fellows [11]
TOTAL: 19 Trips 161 attendees
Appendix C. North American Butterfly Association Counts in Southern Arizona, FY 2017
Date Count name Compiler
Mar. 26 Sabino Canyon Spring M. Klinkel
Jul. 15: Sabino Canyon Summer K. Nickey
Jul. 23: Portal F. Heath
Jul. 26 Santa Rita Mountains Summer M. Klinkel
Aug. 1: Ramsey Canyon D. Danforth
Aug. 7: Patagonia R. Bailowitz
Sep. 30: Santa Rita Mountains Fall M. Klinkel
Appendix D. Hank and Priscilla Brodkin Award
Hank and Priscilla Brodkin. Hank and Priscilla Brodkin were active members of the Los Angeles Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. When they moved to southeastern Arizona they started a similar chapter here: Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA). As prime founders they brought together local butterfly enthusiasts. Priscilla took on the role of Treasurer and Hank the Newsletter Editor. They helped round up speakers for the monthly SEABA meetings and leaders for field trips. In addition, Hank and Priscilla gave many programs and led many field trips themselves.
Name of award: Hank and Priscilla Brodkin Award
Purpose. The award is presented to honor a current or past Southeast Arizona Butterfly Association (SEABA) member or group who has performed meritorious service to advance the mission and objectives of SEABA relative to the conservation and preservation of butterflies.
The award. A recipient is presented with a certificate of merit together with a $50 gift certificate to be used at a local bookstore.
Frequency. The award is presented not more frequently than annually, and to not more than one person or group at one time.
Award process. Any current member of SEABA, including an Executive Committee (ExCom) member, may nominate a person or group for the award by submitting a letter of nomination letter (email is acceptable) to the ExCom. The letter shall include specific actions for which the nominator concludes have qualified the nominee to receive the award. Approval or rejection of the nomination is made by a two-thirds majority of the ExCom.
Approved by SEABA Executive Committee January 24, 2017