Behren’s Silverspot Butterfly Conservation

MLT has been working with partners across the North Coast region to restore and conserve habitat for the federally endangered Behren’s silverspot butterfly. The Wildlife Conservation Board awarded MLT a $1.5 million pollinator habitat restoration grant to help this endangered butterfly. This grant will fund habitat restoration work with California State Parks, the Bureau of Land Management, the Laguna Foundation, the Sequoia Park Zoo, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project supports both on-the-ground habitat restoration and captive-rearing efforts. This is a four-year project to support the butterfly, once a common sight on the Northern California coast. The first phase of this project involves 40 acres of habitat restoration along the Mendocino coast. This winter, 3,500 violets and 7,900 nectar species will be planted in coastal prairie habitats with the help of the California Conservation Corps.