York/Rock Hill Butterfly Count?

[Randy Emmitt]

Folks,

I am a butterfly watcher, amateur naturalist and photographer, also a 
Carolina Butterfly Society officer (Member at Large for North Carolina). I 
dont` think we need another  big argument between collectors and watchers. 
Dennis just stated the club policy in his post. I`m sure what he meant was 
actually that we`d encourage collectors(leaving their nets in the car) to 
join our field trips as I`m sure we could learn a lot from each other. 
Personally if I ran across something unusual or out of place I`d see merit 
in collecting it for study.

  I know just today I killed a Red Admiral with my windshield and many many 
times killed other butterflies while just driving down the road looking for 
butterflies, so what harm is moderate collecting I ask? Better than 
senseless road kills, at least scientific study is under way when MOST 
collectors pick up a few specimens.

I think what some butterfly watchers think collectors are what they read 
reports of smugglers or traders that get caught with illegal leps or 
collect entire colonies. You can`t properly judge a bushel of good apples 
because of one bad apple in the bushel or truckload.

Ron, Thanks for all your hard work and accomplishments as a Lepidopterist. 
We watchers have learned much more from you and others like you than most 
would like to admit.


Best regards,

Randy Emmitt

Rougemont, NC
Randy Emmitt Photography
http://www.rlephoto.com
Carolina Butterfly Society webmaster
http://www.carolinabutterflysociety.org/


 
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