Illuminated
Species: Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) on Orange Sneezeweed (Hymenoxys hoopesii)
Habitat: High-elevation meadows in Sacramento Mountains
Location: Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Public Land: Lincoln National Forest
Description: Rare butterflies are more than delicate creatures of beauty—they are vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem and the intricate balance of nature. Their presence signals thriving habitats with the right plants, climate, and conditions needed to support a complex web of life. Because many rare butterflies have specialized diets and habitats, their survival depends on the conservation of specific native plants and landscapes. Protecting these fragile species helps safeguard biodiversity as a whole, reminding us that even the smallest wings can carry enormous importance for the health of our planet.
Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) photographed near Cloudcroft, NM in June 2018. The stunning orange and dark-brown butterfly is found only in high-elevation meadows around the town of Cloudcroft in the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico, and is reliant on its larval host plant, New Mexico penstemon (Penstemon neomexicanus), which is also endemic to the range. Most populations of the butterfly have been wiped out, at last count only 13 butterflies were found in the wild. Only two small populations of the butterfly out of ten historically occupied meadows remain because most of its habitat has been degraded by grazing, development and motorized recreation. Today, it is virtually undetected throughout its range, leading the Forest Service to conclude that it is likely the most endangered butterfly in the United States, with a non-trivial probability of imminent extinction.
The Center for Biological Diversity calls the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly one of the most endangered animals in the world. After many years of petitions and legal battles, in early 2023, the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly won Endangered Species Act protection.
Since 2020, the Southwest Branch of Institute for Applied Ecology based in Santa Fe, New Mexico has led habitat restoration efforts. Read more about their work here.
I took this photograph while on a hike with my family near Cloudcroft, NM. We stopped in a meadow filled with Orange Sneezeweed and while photographing my kids playing, I happened to see this butterfly and spent some time photographing it before continuing on our hike. In preparation for the Gestures from the Land exhibit, I shared this photograph with Institute for Applied Ecology to verify the species. The photograph was then shared with conservation specialists which led to the identification of a new area of habitat (where the photograph was taken) not previously surveyed and a possible expansion of its known range.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) on Orange Sneezeweed (Hymenoxys hoopesii)
Habitat: High-elevation meadows in Sacramento Mountains
Location: Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Public Land: Lincoln National Forest
Description: Rare butterflies are more than delicate creatures of beauty—they are vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem and the intricate balance of nature. Their presence signals thriving habitats with the right plants, climate, and conditions needed to support a complex web of life. Because many rare butterflies have specialized diets and habitats, their survival depends on the conservation of specific native plants and landscapes. Protecting these fragile species helps safeguard biodiversity as a whole, reminding us that even the smallest wings can carry enormous importance for the health of our planet.
Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) photographed near Cloudcroft, NM in June 2018. The stunning orange and dark-brown butterfly is found only in high-elevation meadows around the town of Cloudcroft in the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico, and is reliant on its larval host plant, New Mexico penstemon (Penstemon neomexicanus), which is also endemic to the range. Most populations of the butterfly have been wiped out, at last count only 13 butterflies were found in the wild. Only two small populations of the butterfly out of ten historically occupied meadows remain because most of its habitat has been degraded by grazing, development and motorized recreation. Today, it is virtually undetected throughout its range, leading the Forest Service to conclude that it is likely the most endangered butterfly in the United States, with a non-trivial probability of imminent extinction.
The Center for Biological Diversity calls the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly one of the most endangered animals in the world. After many years of petitions and legal battles, in early 2023, the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly won Endangered Species Act protection.
Since 2020, the Southwest Branch of Institute for Applied Ecology based in Santa Fe, New Mexico has led habitat restoration efforts. Read more about their work here.
I took this photograph while on a hike with my family near Cloudcroft, NM. We stopped in a meadow filled with Orange Sneezeweed and while photographing my kids playing, I happened to see this butterfly and spent some time photographing it before continuing on our hike. In preparation for the Gestures from the Land exhibit, I shared this photograph with Institute for Applied Ecology to verify the species. The photograph was then shared with conservation specialists which led to the identification of a new area of habitat (where the photograph was taken) not previously surveyed and a possible expansion of its known range.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.
Species: Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) on Orange Sneezeweed (Hymenoxys hoopesii)
Habitat: High-elevation meadows in Sacramento Mountains
Location: Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Public Land: Lincoln National Forest
Description: Rare butterflies are more than delicate creatures of beauty—they are vital indicators of a healthy ecosystem and the intricate balance of nature. Their presence signals thriving habitats with the right plants, climate, and conditions needed to support a complex web of life. Because many rare butterflies have specialized diets and habitats, their survival depends on the conservation of specific native plants and landscapes. Protecting these fragile species helps safeguard biodiversity as a whole, reminding us that even the smallest wings can carry enormous importance for the health of our planet.
Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) photographed near Cloudcroft, NM in June 2018. The stunning orange and dark-brown butterfly is found only in high-elevation meadows around the town of Cloudcroft in the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico, and is reliant on its larval host plant, New Mexico penstemon (Penstemon neomexicanus), which is also endemic to the range. Most populations of the butterfly have been wiped out, at last count only 13 butterflies were found in the wild. Only two small populations of the butterfly out of ten historically occupied meadows remain because most of its habitat has been degraded by grazing, development and motorized recreation. Today, it is virtually undetected throughout its range, leading the Forest Service to conclude that it is likely the most endangered butterfly in the United States, with a non-trivial probability of imminent extinction.
The Center for Biological Diversity calls the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly one of the most endangered animals in the world. After many years of petitions and legal battles, in early 2023, the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly won Endangered Species Act protection.
Since 2020, the Southwest Branch of Institute for Applied Ecology based in Santa Fe, New Mexico has led habitat restoration efforts. Read more about their work here.
I took this photograph while on a hike with my family near Cloudcroft, NM. We stopped in a meadow filled with Orange Sneezeweed and while photographing my kids playing, I happened to see this butterfly and spent some time photographing it before continuing on our hike. In preparation for the Gestures from the Land exhibit, I shared this photograph with Institute for Applied Ecology to verify the species. The photograph was then shared with conservation specialists which led to the identification of a new area of habitat (where the photograph was taken) not previously surveyed and a possible expansion of its known range.
Fine art print on acid free, 100% cotton, bright or warm white, textured surface, archival quality paper. For more about papers I use click here.