The Greater Vancouver Zoo, along with Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC) and other local and national partners, are working to protect species at risk, with some BC natives being the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly, Oregon Spotted Frog, and iconic Western Painted Turtle. These three conservation projects at the Greater Vancouver Zoo are led by Biologist Andrea Gielens (WPC) and Deputy GM & Director of Animal Care Menita Prasad (GVZ).

Proud recipients of the:

• 2024 Peter Karsten Award for the Taylor’s Checkerspot Butterfly Recovery Project

The Threats

Taylor's Checkerspot Butterflies require early succession meadows to reproduce. These meadows are quickly disappearing as humans work to prevent forest fires, which are the main method of producing these meadows, and creates difficult conservation problems.

How You Can Help

• Stay on the path! It is strangely simple but staying on the designated walkways in provincial parks and campsites gives the local plants the space to grow and help species like butterflies prosper
• Limit the use of chemical pesticides.
• Get in touch with local conservation groups and volunteer your services for these beautiful species

What We Do

Captive Breeding

By using a mix of wild-caught and captive born butterflies we create a population to inhabit the habitats we work to restore.

Every year the populations are tracked and assessed to ensure that an appropriate amount of genetic variation is present to ensure a healthy and genetically divers population.

Head-Starting

Head-starting is when animals are reared until they are deemed old enough to survive in the wild and then released into their protected habitats. By helping them through their most vulnerable life stage the more mature animals have a much better chance of surviving.

Habitat Protection and Maintenance

Habitat loss from urban development limits the spaces these animals can live in. Along with loss of habitat, these animals primarily live in early succession meadows created through forest fires.

While we prevent forest fires for the safety of the public, it limits the habitat available for the butterflies to use. With the help of local stakeholders we work to maintain spaces appropriate for the butterflies to reproduce.

Restoration Recap

2024

100 new larvae recovered

After extensive monitoring and searching, 100 checkerspot caterpillars were recovered this season which will serve as the parents to next year's breeding program.

2023

First overwintered larvae observed

Thanks to increased numbers, favourable weather, and the incredible work of field crews (shout out to Pascale and Kihan) the first confirmed overwintered animals were found, en mass, this spring. Over 200 larvae were found, which is a testament both to our released animals and the search effort and skills of the field crew!

Wild-born on Hornby Island for the first time in 25 years

We are excited to announce that for this first time since the mid 90’s, more than 25 years ago, there have been TCBs able to complete their entire life cycle on Hornby Island.

9000+ Released to date

Our Continued release efforts have resulted in the release of more than 9000 TCB larvae into this habitat over the past 5 years.

The Plan Moving Forward

Update: With the recovery of 100 larvae in the 2024 season we will aim to continue the breeding program into 2025 and release 3,000-6,000 caterpillars per year!

To maintain genetically healthy populations we chose to release all individuals this year and recreate a viable genetic pool for continued captive breeding and head starting.

This summer we will have staff out assisting field crews to do more extensive surveys and hopefully collect more animals for a fresh breeding population of TCB, which will produce more larva for release in summer 2025 or spring 2026!