Robert M. Pyle
Announcing the Release of
Mariposa Road:
The First Butterfly Big Year
by Robert M. Pyle
Read all about Bob Pyle's epic cross-country butterfly adventure!  
Robert M. Pyle, the noted lepidopterist, writer, and Xerces Society founder, spent 2008 on an historic journey. Racing against the calendar, Bob crisscrossed the United States to find, experience, and identify as many of the country's eight hundred species of butterflies as he could. Bob's new release, Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly Big Year, recounts his immense undertaking.
book coverAs the publisher says, "At turns whimsical, witty, informative, and inspirational, Mariposa Road is an extraordinary journey of discovery that leads the reader even farther into butterfly country and deeper into the heart of the naturalist."

We would add that Mariposa Road is Bob at his best. He combines natural history with personal observations to weave an entrancing tale. This is a must read.

To purchase the book or read the complete book press release, please visit www.xerces.org.
Thank you to everyone who pledged or donated to the Butterfly-a-thon!
Leona's little blueAs Bob traversed the U.S. in search of butterflies, many of you generously contributed to the Butterfly-a-thon fundraiser. Thanks to your pledges of 5 cents, 10 cents, or even a dollar for each of the 488 butterfly species that Bob saw Xerces raised over $40,000!

This money is being used for conservation of threatened and endangered butterfly species. The Butterfly-a-thon pledges have enabled us to:
  • develop land management plans for the Bureau of Land Management to conserve the imperiled mardon skipper; as a result, the BLM is reducing many of the threats this butterfly faces;
  • assist landowners, the Farm Service Agency, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in restoring habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly in Wisconsin;
  • file Endangered Species Act petitions seeking federal protection for Leona's little blue, the bay skipper, and the sand verbena moth and their habitats;
  • launch a project to evaluate the status of monarch overwintering sites on the California coast and provide tools to citizens and land managers to protect those critical areas; and
  • initiate a project to work with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service and native seed producers to develop locally native species of milkweed for monarch conservation in southern U.S. states.
Butterfly-a-thon money also supports work that has led to the appointment of Scott Hoffman Black, Xerces executive director, as chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Butterfly Specialist Group. Bob Pyle was the first chair of the IUCN's Butterfly Specialist Group in the 1970s.
Read more about these projects.

These are just a few of our butterfly projects that have benefited from Butterfly-a-thon pledges. We will continue to advocate for the protection of many other rare, threatened, and often overlooked species of butterflies and their habitats. To read more about our butterfly conservation program, please visit www.xerces.org.

OUR MISSION
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org.
DONATE NOW
Your contribution goes directly to support
• innovative conservation programs
• effective education and advocacy
• scientific and popular publications
JOIN
If you are not already a member, please consider joining the Xerces Society. As a member, you will receive two issues of our member magazine Wings each year. Wings is a full color magazine that highlights essays on invertebrate conservation and is a great addition to your home library. For more information on membership please visit the membership page on our website.
MEMBER RENEWAL
Our website allows Xerces Members to renew their membership online. If you are not sure when your membership expires, email suzanne@xerces.org or call the office at 503-232-6639. We want to make member renewal as easy as we can for our members, so please let us know if you have any suggestions.
PUBLICATIONS
Please visit our online store for books and publications on invertebrate conservation, including popular titles such as:
· The Pollinator Conservation Handbook
· Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America
· Chasing Monarchs
PHOTO CREDIT
Bob Pyle by Thea Pyle
The Xerces Society • 4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97215 USA • tel 503.232.6639
info@xerces.orgwww.xerces.org

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