GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — John Ball Zoo's conservation program has already found success, within just a few years of starting.
"Everybody's heard of the monarch, right? But very few people have heard of the poweshiek skipperling, and that's one of the most critically endangered animals in the world," said David Pavlik. "Now, there's only one or two very small populations in Michigan, and one or two populations up in Manitoba, Canada. "Everything else across this range has been lost."
Pavlik is a research assistant at Michigan State University's Haddad Lab. MSU's partnership with John Ball Zoo has helped foster the regrowth of the population.
In 2021, they started with 32 butterflies. Today, they have over 1,400 caterpillars.
"A lot of people, when they think of extinction, they'll think of the rainforest or something like that, but this is happening right here in our own backyard and Michigan," Pavlik said.
Pavlik said the population decline happened very quickly, likely due to pesticide use, climate change, and the loss of its prairie habitat.
This successful research will be able to help them in their work to support other populations native to West Michigan as well.
"If the poweshiek skipperling is declining so rapidly, there's a really good chance that a lot of other species are also declining rapidly as well," Pavlik said. "We can kind of use the success, or lack of success, for the species as an indicator for what's going on in the environment."
John Ball Zoo is committed to dedicating 3% of operating funds to conservation. Big events like the Lantern Festival help support and bring attention to that mission.
"It gets people here to the zoo, gets people connected to our mission," said Bill Flanagan, John Ball Zoo's Conservation Manager. "A lot of that goes to conservation right here in our backyard at the Great Lakes."
The festival runs through June 16. You can buy tickets here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Watch 13 ON YOUR SIDE for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV and on your phone.