Bowling Green, Ky. - More than 30 volunteers will attempt to find and identify all of the moth and butterfly species in Mammoth Cave National Park this weekend.

The survey, nicknamed "The Butterfly Blitz," will be the first ever attempted at the park and is a joint project of Western Kentucky University's biology department, the Society of Kentucky Lepidopterists and Mammoth Cave National Park.

The survey will begin Friday afternoon and continue until midday Sunday.

"This survey in Mammoth Cave is a direct result of the success of a pilot project at WKU's Upper Green River Biological Preserve last year, in which over 100 butterflies and moths were identified," said Dr. Jeffrey Marcus, assistant professor of biology. "Mammoth Cave officials were so impressed by what we've done at Upper Green River, they asked the WKU Biology Department to replicate the survey on a much larger scale in the National Park."

Dr. Marcus hopes the group can identify more than 150 species this weekend.

"One of the important roles of the National Parks is to serve as refuges for rare and unusual species," he said. "Mammoth Cave works actively to protect the rare species in the park that they know about, but there has been only very preliminary work to document the species of butterflies and moths found in the park. This weekend, we are going to find what species are there, and where they are found in the park, so that the Park Service can better manage and protect them."

Volunteers for "The Butterfly Blitz" will include about 10 Lepidoptera experts from across the state, WKU students, Mammoth Cave National Park employees and others who are interested in learning more about butterflies and moths.

The Society of Kentucky Lepidopterists, a nonprofit group dedicated to studying and protecting the butterfly and moth fauna, is providing expertise in identifying the species. WKU's biology department is providing equipment and logistical support and will help interpret the data collected. The park service is providing detailed information about the habitats in the park and the land use history of those habitats.

"The Butterfly Blitz" will be based at the Cave Research Foundation on Hamilton Valley Road.

Note to media: If you plan to cover the "Butterfly Blitz," here is additional information:

The volunteers for the butterfly and moth survey will be based for the weekend at the Cave Research Foundation, which is at the Eastern edge of Mammoth Cave National Park.

Members of the media can join the group at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, at the Cave Research Foundation, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, at the Cave Research Foundation, and at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 17, at the Cave Research Foundation.

Directions:

Take I-65 North to Exit 53 (Cave City). Turn west on Route 70. Turn right on Route 255, also called the East Entrance Road.

After passing the signs for Sand Cave, turn right onto Park Ridge Road. Drive about 2 miles before turning right onto Hamilton Valley Road. The Cave Research Foundation is at the end of the road, look for the sign.

More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.

For information, contact Jeffrey Marcus at (270) 745-2043.