Oregon silverspot butterflies, a threatened species whose numbers have dwindled for years, appear to be making a comeback along the Oregon coast.
Conservationists who met recently to compare notes and crunch numbers found that on one slice of U.S. Forest Service land near Yachats, where fewer than 20 silverspots have been seen in previous years, a biologist counted an estimated 400 in 2009.
Among other Northwest organizations, the Oregon Zoo has contributed to butterfly restoration by hatching silverspot eggs and releasing butterflies -- more than 2,000 of them last year. The zoo's horticulture department raises thousands of western blue violets, the butterflies' preferred food source, to plant at release sites.
"This is terrific news," said David Shepherdson, zoo conservation scientist, "and strong evidence that what we're doing is really making a difference in the field."
-- Katy Muldoon