Photo: James Wheeler | Pexels
A rare butterfly thought to be extinct in Canada is making a comeback on Vancouver Island, and getting some human help on Hornby and Denman islands. The Taylor's checkerspot, with its exquisite black, orange and white patterns, once lived in Greater Victoria and north to Hornby, with pockets in coastal Oregon and Washington. After small groups were discovered on Denman Island in 2005 and south of Campbell River in 2018, a massive re-introduction effort has begun on Hornby. BC Parks created a 10 hectare area of North Denman Provincial Park as a special butterfly reserve and in March, BC Parks staff, conservation groups and volunteers released more than 5,400 larvae - enough to result in about 250 adult butterflies each year. Wildlife Preservation Canada says the checkerspot's sensitivity to habitat changes make it an indicator for the health of the entire ecosystem.
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