John Ball Zoo Fights for Great Lakes’ Rarest Butterflies
Great Lakes Echo

By Donté Smith 
Butterfly populations are in decline across the continental U.S., dropping by 22% between 2000 and 2020 according to a study in the journal Science. Almost a third of the 342 species studied have seen their numbers fall by more than half.  To help combat that trend, the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, launched its Great Lakes Rare Butterfly Program in 2021 to protect the region’s most threatened species.

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John Ball Zoo Fights for Great Lakes’ Rarest Butterflies
https://greatlakesecho.org/2025/08/23/john-ball-zoo-fights-for-great-lakes-rare…