There’s a saying around my house that states all birds and no butterflies makes Jeff a dull boy.
I love bird watching more than just about anything else I do in nature, but I also love watching, photographing, and learning about other creatures that we share this world with, particularly butterflies.
A few years ago when I used to be on Facebook, I came across a group titled Utah Butterfly Field Trips and met the founder Todd Stout, a butterfly expert that offers free butterfly field trips during spring and summer here in Utah.
Todd’s love for butterflies is only superseded by his knowledge and willingness to share his expertise with others.
I have been on a few of the butterfly field trips over the years since meeting Todd, with the trip up Farmington Canyon being my favorite overall.
There are approximately 250 different species of butterflies here in Utah but most of them are not found down in the valley but higher up in our canyons and mountains.
Some of these butterflies are even found in the desert areas of Utah as well.
All in all, most of the butterfly species found in Utah are not well known because they aren’t readily seen by us here in our urban valley locations.
I for one never knew there were so many different butterfly species here in Utah until I went on my first Utah Butterfly Field Trip with Todd Stout and learned only a small portion of Utah’s butterfly species actually live in the Wasatch Front valley.
The field trips are typically family-friendly for almost all ages.
Todd takes the time and shows the attendees where to find different species of caterpillars and what host plants they use to lay their eggs on for the caterpillars to feed upon once hatching.
It is also a great opportunity for nature photographers such as myself to get out and photograph butterflies not commonly seen in urban areas.
If you are interested in learning more about the different butterflies that live here in Utah, I suggest checking out the Utah Butterfly Field Trips Facebook page and learning more about the trips Todd Stout offers each year.
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