Do you want to find more butterflies? Paul Johnson can help. Paul is a Wildlife Biologist at Pinnacles National Park, and a long time lepidopterist, or one who studies butterflies and moths. Paul also leads several North American Butterfly Association (NABA) butterfly counts in California, which is how I got connected with Paul in the first place, and a primary focus of this episode.Today, we discuss Paul's path to wildlife biology and butterflies. Being a wildlife biologist at a National Park sounds like a dream job to me, so I also probed a bit about that, and what makes Pinnacles National Park such a unique place. As a hint, Pinnacles is named for geologically unique spires of volcanic origin.We then turn our attention to butterflies and butterfly counts - North American Butterfly Association, or NABA, Fourth of July counts. Despite the name, these counts are held over the months of June and July. We discuss the structure and goals of the counts and how to participate. With 450 counts across North America, and most skill levels needed, there might be an opportunity for you!Paul also discusses butterfly behavior, which aside from being fascinating, is also helpful for finding them. This includes behaviors such as hilltopping, mudpuddling, and larval food plant associations.You can find Paul on iNaturalist as euproserpinus (you-pro-serpinus). And if you are interested in participating in a NABA butterfly count, check out naba.org for the count circles and count leaders (or this link for additional details for Northern California counts). Did you have a question that I didn't ask? Let me know at naturesarchivepodcast@gmail.com, and I'll try to get an answer in my monthly newsletter. If you aren't already subscribed, go here. I promise, no spam. I share the latest news from the world of Nature's Archive, as well as pointers to new naturalist finds that have crossed my radar, like podcasts, books, websites, and more. FULL SHOW NOTESPeople/OrganizationsArt Shapiro - professor at UC Davis, Dr. Shapiro has been tracking butterflies for 45+ yearsJerry Powell - UC Berkeley entomologistLiam O'Brien - lepidopterist and illustrator who is creating a butterfly guide (instagram)Xerces Society - nonprofit focused on conservation of invertebrates and their habitatsBooks/OtherHandbook for Butterfly Watchers - Robert Michael PyleThe Butterflies of North America - A Natural History and Field Guide - James ScottChecklist of Butterflies at Pinnacles National ParkRelated Podcast Episodes#28 - Milkweeds - Dr. Carrie Olson-Manning and Sydney Kreutzmann#30 - Dr. Jaret Daniels Butterflies, Creating Habitat in Overlooked Landscapes, Creative Outreach#37 - Dr. Stuart Weiss – Checkerspots, Cars, and CowsSupport the show