Enfolding the public into the "Parnassius Story" to connect them with a bioindicator of climate change through vivid graphics, videos, and engaging interactive content in an iBook

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

1:54 PM – 2:06 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 111/112

Presenting Author(s)

Kimberly E. Moss

Associate Professor
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa

Co-Author(s)

DD

Diane Debinski

Professor & Department Head
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana
J. Simone Durney

Ph.D. Candidate
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

Discover how an iBook was developed to feature Parnassius clodius, a little-known butterfly native to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, in a multi-pronged approach to promote public engagement, science education, and butterfly conservationists in-training. Going beyond academic publications, which are read by people in highly specialized fields, this work focuses on making science research meaningful and accessible to the public. Furthermore, it engages youth and the public in taking action by providing a way for them to join scientists to conduct research and make a difference. “Wings That Make Waves” is a free iBook that showcases scientists conducting long-term research to explain how butterflies can be indicators of climate change. This STEAM storytelling endeavor evolved from a partnership between an ecologist and a biological illustrator and leverages the power of visual communication with a combination of photos, art, maps, videos, text, and interactive apps. The storyline is that butterflies can serve as ecological indicators to quantify changes in montane meadows because they are abundant, showy, easily identified, and tightly linked to environmental conditions. Parnassius butterflies are also found in alpine ecosystems worldwide with some European sister species that are endangered. These nonmigratory butterflies emerge as caterpillars after snow melt, which survive by feeding on Dicentra uniflora, Steer's head, an herbaceous perennial that appears for a short time in the spring. The synchronized timing of caterpillar emergence and the appearance of Dicentra uniflora could be disrupted by erratic spring weather patterns, including early snow melt followed by spring snowstorms and cold snaps.