Dakota Skipper Conservation

The Butterfly House & Aquarium was invited by the Great Plains Zoo and the Minnesota Zoo to participate in the Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program to help save a declining species of butterfly native to the prairie lands found in the Upper Midwest. The Dakota Skipper is a small but mighty pollinator whose population has majorly decreased in recent years due to habitat loss.

This is a conservation project that focuses on an important, local species of pollinator. Pollinators are vital to the world. A pollinator is responsible for bringing us about 1 out of every 3 bites of food, along with maintaining ecosystems and habitats for many animals (including humans) all over the world.