Hello Everyone,

My name is George DeWolf. I'm an amateur naturalist who struggles to find focus in the natural world...I'm interested in everything. I'm a founding member of the NH Butterfly Monitoring Network (NHBMN); the coordinator of the Baker Ponds Butterfly Count, NH's longest-running butterfly survey; a Plant Conservation Volunteer with the Native Plant Trust; a volunteer at Quincy Bog Natural Area where I guide an annual wildflower walk; and a trail adopter for the Forest Service. My focus in recent years has been on raising awareness of butterflies, offering online training on their identification, and inspiring folks to observe them and support their protection.

My perspective on butterfly identification:

I strive to be conservative in my butterfly identifications, particularly with challenging species like some grass skippers and duskywings. High-quality photos are often necessary for me to confirm these species, and for many others, I require both dorsal (top side) and ventral (underside) views to make a confident ID. Whenever identification is challenging, I aim to provide clear reasoning. If I've identified any of your observations without offering an explanation, please don't hesitate to ask for one. And if I ever make a mistake, I'm always open to corrections.

Given the degree of intraspecific (within-species) variation and hybridization in the butterfly world, I accept that sometimes precise identification is unknowable.

Finally, many people in the iNaturalist community have considerably more education in the biological sciences and more field experience than I do. I believe that having a domain of expertise is important, and I often defer to and consult with these experts for identifications I'm unsure of.