Welcome to Project Butterfly WINGS!

This tutorial explains how to use the WINGS leader web pages to add a transect site and enter transect data. Refer to pages 53-62 in the Leader Guide for more information about transects. Site description and Transect count forms are on pages 60-61 in the Leader Guide.

What is a transect?Transects are group surveys of butterfly species seen in a well-defined area over a specific time period. For instance, your group will walk for a distance of 300 feet and record butterfly species observed within 15 feet on either side. When a transect survey is conducted, two people walk together with one spotting and identifying butterflies andthe other recording the data. See page 53-62 in the Leader Guide for more information. See page 57 in the Leader Guide to see an illustration of a transect count area.

Transect survey sites are often public locations such as a park or school yard. Select a site that your group will be able to visit at different times and on different days to insure maximum flexibility for your planning Once you measure your transect survey area, your group will walk the center path of the transect area on each survey.

If all groups follow the same methods or procedures when doing a transect we can compare data collected by many groups. These procedures are called a protocol. Following the same protocol insures that everyone collects data in the same way. This is another way you can contribute meaningful data to science.

What is a protocol?A protocol is a standard procedure or way to gather data. The transect protocol established by WINGS scientists is to measure an area that is 300 feet long and 30 feet wide. As a group leader, you will help youth find an area along a path that the group will monitor, then measure 300 feet along the path. They will also measure and mark a width of 15 feet on either side of the path. As they walk in pairs along the path through this marked area, one youth will identify and count the butterflies inside the marked study area. The other youth will record this information on a transect data sheet (page 61 in WINGS Leader Guide).

By having everyone walk through a site of the same size, scientists (and you!) can compare data collected at multiple sites.

This is a sample transect area. Both observer and recorder walk along the trail. The observer looks for butterflies inside the 15-foot area on either side of the trail. The recorder completes the data sheet. This way both people can focus on their task. They can switch roles on other days so both have an opportunity to observe and record. Be sure to watch the informational video and read about transects in the leader guide if your group decides to do this type of survey!

Observer& Recorder

walk along trail

15ft 15ft

At the home page, select Log in

Select the right side of the butterfly for WINGS Leader Log In.

Enter your user name and password, then select log me in.

If you don’t remember your username and/or password, select I don’t remember my username and/or password.

If you haven’t ever logged in before, enter the registration password (wingsleader) from the Leader Guide and select Register me!

WINGS LEADER LIFTOFF is the page that you choose what you want to do. You can do the following:

Change your passwordEdit your profileAdd or remove youth participantsCreate a Butterfly ID sheet

Add or edit Group SitesEnter or edit Date ListEnter Transect DataView Data

In order to enter transect data, you will need to enter yourgroup site first.

Select Add a new site to create a new group site.Your existing group sites are listed below the bar.If you want to edit an existing group site, select Edit site.

Complete the information about your group site. Select Submit if you are ready to go to the next step, if you want to clear all fields and start over, select Reset.

Example group site description: Approximately 5,000 acres of upland sandy soil with longleaf pines, turkey oaks, wiregrass. Several lakes are located in the parks and a ravine with a stream at the bottom. The ravine has assorted moisture loving trees.

Your group sites are displayed. If you want to create another site or edit one of your sites select Add a new site or Edit site.

If you are finished, select Go to WINGS Liftoff

At WINGS Liftoff, Select Transect to enter or edit Transect data.

If you want to enter data from group sites you have created, select My group sites. If you want to enter data from a site that another leader created, select Other group sites.

If you selected My Group Sites, your existing group sites are displayed below the bar. Select the site you want to work with today and then Enter/edit transect.

If you selected Other Group Sites, select your state and county from the scroll-sown list, and then Enter. On the next screen, a list of sites is displayed in the scroll down list. Select the site you want to work with, and then Enter.

If you haven’t already created your transect for this site, you create one using the form below. When you have finished entering the information, select Add this transect

This is a description of the transect that your group will survey at this site. You can create and survey multiple transects at one group site, and you can also survey transects at multiple group sites. Complete the information about this transect: name, description and habitat.

If you are using a group site and transect created by another leader, select that option and Enter transect data.

Otherwise, you should create a new transect at this site. Name your transect, type a description, pick the appropriate habitat type, and select Add this transect.

Enter transect dataEnter the following information about your recent transect survey: Month, Day, Year, Start Time and Notes. When you are finished, select I am done. Go to next step. If you would like to clear the form and start over, select Reset.

Your next step is to select the butterflies that your group observed during the survey time. Scroll down to select the species from the list and enter the number of individuals of that species you saw. Then select Add butterfly!

If you did not observe any butterflies, select I didn’t see any! If you observed butterflies that you were unable to identify, enter the number of unidentified butterflies and select Add butterfly!

After you select Add butterfly on the previous screen, a list of species seen is displayed for your review. You can either Select more butterflies or when you are finished, select, I am finished let me see my list.

After you have finished entering butterfly species, your transect survey list will be displayed as below. If you notice a mistake on a previous survey, select Edit/Delete. If you are satisfied with the information, you can Go to WINGS Liftoff, another WINGS page, or Log out.

Have fun while you learn about and identify butterflies!