Don't call it a comeback

Twenty-one years after landing on the endangered species list, the Fender’s blue butterfly is making a recovery. Thanks to conservation supporters in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, Fender’s blue was reclassified from endangered to threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January — a significant success for a butterfly thought to be extinct in 1937 but rediscovered in 1989.

The Fender’s blue butterfly now inhabits twice the acreage it did when listed as endangered in 2000. The efforts of private landowners and groups like the accredited Greenbelt Land Trust have been pivotal in protecting and restoring habitat for the butterfly and other species.

“This is a wonderful and rewarding moment for me, and I am sure for the many people who worked on the species’ recovery,” said Greenbelt Land Trust outreach manager Matt Benotsch.

Benotsch previously worked for The Nature Conservancy as a land steward focused on restoring upland prairie habitat for Fender’s blue.

“The reclassification is a testament to the power of conservation partnerships, the importance of the Endangered Species Act and the dedication of the individuals involved,” he said.

Carolyn Menke, Greenbelt Land Trust’s stewardship manager, added: “What makes this critical benchmark for Fender’s blue even better is that the amazing collaboration for the butterfly has also led to incredible progress for Willamette Valley prairie and oak conservation, which benefits a multitude of native plants, pollinators, grassland birds and other wildlife.”

Take a deeper dive into the comeback of the Fender's blue butterfly here.