FT 9: Into the Clouds: The Alpine Environment of the Uncompahgre Fritillary Butterfly

Trip Itinerary: This trip will utilize a series of short videos filmed from various sections along the Uncompahgre Peak and Redcloud Peak trails where two monitored populations of the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly are performed in the summer and live narration or voice over will be added. There will also be intermittent periods of answering and asking the attendees questions. The first part of this field trip will begin at the location that the butterfly was first discovered below Uncompahgre Peak, Colorado. • The first stop will be along the Nellie Creek Trail at a rock cairn where a photograph has been taken of the Uncompahgre Peak habitats every year on the summer solstice to observe snow cover changes. Some of these images will be added to the video and I will ask the attendees, "Why is it important to look for changes in snow cover in this region?"
• The second stop will be at the lower butterfly colony labeled with a sign for Endangered species habitat. I will show them where the old trail that cut right through the butterfly habitat was rerouted and then move up to the middle and upper colonies. I will explain the history behind this species and ask if there are any questions.
• The third stop will actively show how the colonies are being sampled for population estimates and habitat characteristics. I will present a scenario for the attendees to calculate how many butterflies were seen in a particular area, so they have a better understanding of distance sampling.

The second part of this field trip will travel 16km south to Redcloud Peak. • The first stop will begin at the trailhead of Redcloud Peak where a large informational sign was placed by the U.S. Forest Service to inform the public of the Endangered Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly.
• The second stop will be at Silver Creek and I will ask the attendees, “Would they drink out of this stream?” The stream is contaminated by heavy metals, so this is a good opportunity to share some backcountry water source information.
• The third stop will be along the trail up to Redcloud Peak, describing some species of wildflowers blooming during this time.
• The fourth stop will be at the lower colony located below Redcloud Peak and I will explain the importance of this area as a Wilderness Study Area. The attendees will follow the crew up to the upper colony and experience some footage of the other sensitive and/or threatened species that share the habitat of the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly.
• In conclusion, I will ask the attendees, "What threats are impacting the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly and other species in these alpine ecosystems?" This will lead into the final discussion of what we can do to protect threatened and endangered species and ecosystems. I will open it up for any final questions from the attendees before finishing up this field trip into the clouds.