The Butterflies of Nova Scotia and the New Maritimes Butterfly Atlas — John Klymko. The talk will consist of a brief introduction to butterflies and a discussion of the species occurring in Nova Scotia, including “Maritime Specialties” and Nova Scotia’s species of conservation concern. The Maritimes Butterfly Atlas will then be introduced. This citizen-science project is the first comprehensive butterfly survey for the Maritime Provinces and will rely on records submitted by volunteer naturalists. It aims to greatly improve the baseline knowledge of butterfly occurrence in the Maritimes, allowing for the identification of species of conservation concern and more informed conservation decisions.

John grew up in southern Ontario, did his BSc and MSc at the University of Guelph, and has done insect, bird and plant work in Ontario and the Maritimes. He is now the zoologist at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre where he focuses on butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and other insect groups.