New Jersey Butterfly Club

A chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA)

Upcoming Events

Next Meeting Presentation

Register Here if you plan to attend our May meeting via Zoom.

  • Topic: On a Butterfly’s Wing: Lessons From Nature on Embracing Change
  • Presented By: Dr. Astrid Vargas, author of "On a Butterfly's Wing"
  • Description: The New Jersey Butterfly Club is pleased to welcome conservation biologist and acclaimed author Astrid Vargas for a special presentation on her inspiring new book, On a Butterfly's Wing: Lessons from Nature on Embracing Change. Blending science, storytelling, art, and personal reflection, Vargas will explore how the remarkable transformation of butterflies can teach us about resilience, renewal, and our connection to the natural world.
  • Date & Time: Sunday, May 31, 2026 at noon
  • Important - Dr. Vargas will be presenting from the UK. To accommodate her schedule and due to the time difference this meeting cannot be held at our usual time and day of the week.
  • Location: Via Zoom only
May 2026 Meeting

If you missed any of our prior meetings, you can view videos of some of these meetings on our YouTube Page.

Upcoming Field Trips

The next few field trips are shown below. Trips normally begin promptly at 9:30 unless otherwise noted. Refer to our Complete List of Trips to see all our outings and information about how our trips are conducted. Check back often as details change as the season progresses.

Appalachian Trail Lands

  • Date: Thursday JUNE 18 (JUNE 19)
  • Location: Vernon Twp., Sussex County
  • Leaders: Wade and Sharon Wander (973) 271-0204 or 0051

We will visit several locations on state land where we hope to see Giant Swallowtail, Banded and Juniper hairstreaks, Northern Pearly-eye, Appalachian Brown, Eyed Brown, anglewings, emperors, Red-spotted Purple, Common Ringlet, and maybe Baltimore Checkerspot and Bronze Copper. See site description on our website.

Meet at Maple Grange Park at 36 Maple Grange Road. Indoor bathrooms available. Lunch and bathrooms at nearby Heaven Hill Farm.

This trip is very much dependent on the denseness of the mosquito swarms which were brutally thick last year prompting trip cancelation.


Bamboo Brook Outdoor Education Center and Kay Environmental Center

  • Date: Friday, JULY 10 (no rain date)
  • Location: Chester Twp., Morris County
  • Leaders: Bill Lynch of the NJCF and a mob of club members.

A Friday trip with the NJ Conservation Foundation. We usually see about 15-20 species of butterflies on these trips, which are open to the public. This is a great chance to share our knowledge of butterflies and other taxa to novices, including children.

Meet at the main building (down the steps from the large gravel parking lot) at 170 Longview Road, Far Hills. The Bamboo Brook portion of this trip begins at 9:30 and normally ends around noon. Indoor bathrooms available.

We will then have a late lunch at the nearby Kay Center, visit its butterfly garden, and walk some trails.


Pequest Wildlife Management Area

  • Date: Wednesday July 22 (Friday July 24)
  • Location: Liberty and Mansfield townships, Warren County
  • Leaders: Wade and Sharon Wander (973) 271-0051

This trip is timed to coincide with the peak emergence of swallowtails partaking of the abundant Wild Bergamot nectar. We will visit a few fields filled with flowers, and a small dirt parking area that is often frequented by anglewings, snouts, and emperors.

Meet at the Resource Education Center parking lot at 605 Pequest Road, Oxford Twp. at 9:30. (The parking lot can also be accessed directly from Route 46.) Inside bathrooms available.

4th of July Butterfly Counts

No weekend field trips are scheduled for late June and July because many members participate in Fourth of July Counts, which are held on weekends during this period. If you are interested in participating, contact the count leader.

Here are the butterfly counts for 2026.

  • Sandy Hook - June 25, Leader: Henry Kindervatter, (267) 401-2699, hkinderv@gmail.com
  • Great Swamp - June 27, Leader: Ben Barkley, (908) 285-4362, benbarkley92@gmail.com
  • Springdale - July 4, Leaders: Wade and Sharon Wander, (973) 271-0204 or 271-0051, wec2293@gmail.com
  • Mercer - July 5, Leader: Jim Springer, (908) 334-3412, springer@naba.org
  • Raritan Canal - TBD, Leader: Mike Gochfeld, (732) 233-5864, gochfeld@eohsi.rutgers.edu
  • Bowman's Hill - July 18, Leader: Mary Anne Borge, (609) 397-9684, maborge@yahoo.com
  • Duke Farms - July 26, Leader: Mike Gochfeld, (732) 233-5864, gochfeld@eohsi.rutgers.edu