The Maryland Native Plant Society

The Maryland Native Plant Society
  • Home
  • MNPS Chapter Meeting: Western Mountains

MNPS Chapter Meeting: Western Mountains

  • 10/18/2011
  • 7:00 PM
  • Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park

Sponsoring Organization: Maryland Native Plant Society, Western Mountains Chapter

Topic: Butterflies of Western Maryland

Speaker: Fran Pope, well-known bird and butterfly enthusiast from Garrett County

Program will begin immediately following a brief MNPS chapter business meeting.

Pope will discuss Western Maryland’s unique and colorful array of butterflies and their caterpillars, each of which has its own preferred food sources and schedule of development. Most of our butterflies are always here in one of their life stages. The life cycle of egg-caterpillar-chrysalis-butterfly differs in its timing for each species. A species may winter at any one of these stages, and then be ready to emerge at a species-specific time, and take advantage of a special seasonal food source. Pope will illustrate with her original photographs a variety of species in different stages and seasons, and the food sources including native plants that are sustaining them at these times.

Fran Pope grew up in the tropics attracting colorful arrays of birds and butterflies with bananas. This led to a life-long fascination with the natural world. A birder-turned-butterflier, she helps survey for rare, threatened, and endangered butterflies in Maryland. As a West Virginia Master Naturalist, she has presented programs on WV butterflies in Tucker County, WV, and is currently compiling an updated list of the butterflies of Tucker County. Her photographs have appeared in the journal of the North American Butterfly Association, American Butterflies.

Directions: From I-68 take exit 14 A (Route 219 South to Deep Creek Lake). Continue on Route 219 South for 18 miles. Turn left on Glendale Road. Continue for one mile, crossing over the Glendale Bridge. Immediately after crossing the Glendale Bridge, turn left onto State Park Road. Continue on State Park Road for one mile until you see the information sign for the state park facilities.

More Information: Contact Liz McDowell, Chapter Coordinator, at 301-895-3686 or lmcdnativeplants@hughes.net

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software