SF’s 31st Annual Butterfly Count 2025 (McLaren Park)

Join us on a daylong walk through McLaren Park for the 31st Annual San Francisco Butterfly Count!

Mark your calendars! It’s the 31st Annual San Francisco Butterfly Count – Sunday, June 15th. Join expert naturalist Russ Aguilar who will lead this year’s count at McLaren Park.

Please arrive at the parking lot (Mansell St & Visitacion Ave) at 10a.m.sharp.

There is a $3.00 participation fee (donation) that goes towards butterfly conservation, and you are welcome to donate more to support Nature in the City.

Yes, we count even in foggy weather! It’s not the best day to learn your butterflies, as time is of the essence in gathering data, but all are welcome. There are separate meet-up spots for different teams, so if you’d like to count in a different area, please contact Liam O’Brien at liammail56@yahoo.com.

Bonus! Meet up at 5pm at Pasquale’s Pizza at 8th Ave and Irving Street to eat provided pizza and regale in stories-of-the-day.

Walk Leader: Russ Aguilar. Russ is a science teacher and naturalist from Marin County. He began his career in environmental education with the National Park Service, which took him to 6 states and the District of Columbia and inspired him to connect urban communities to the natural resources we all share. Originally, he chose to focus on bugs to help his students overcome their fears around being outdoors, and he is enraptured by the beauty, diversity, and intensity of the invertebrate world.

Details: Moderate difficulty and mixed terrain with some steep segments. There is a public toilet near the parking lot, which will be accessible before/after the event and during lunch.

Preparation: This is a full day’s walk, so please bring lunch, water, good walking shoes, sunscreen, a hat, and layers. We will have butterfly brochures for sale — $5 each. If you have them, you may wish to bring your own butterfly net, close-range binoculars, guidebook, and smart phone with iNaturalist for making observations.

Meeting Location: Meet at the Mansell St and Visitacion Ave parking lot. Parking is free and abundant. Please plan to arrive on time – there will be no way to communicate with the walk leader once the group has left the meeting location.

Transportation: The Muni 29 bus drops off right near the meeting location. Biking is not recommended: there are no bike racks at the meeting location and the walk will not be accessible to bikes.

Cost: There is a $3.00 participation fee (donation) that goes towards butterfly conservation, and you are welcome to donate more to support Nature in the City.

Donations (in cash or online) can also be made to Nature in the City on the day of the event. Special bonus! Everyone who donates $10 and above will receive a copy of the Nature in the City Map.

Or donate to Nature in the City using our secure online form, and we’ll send you monthly emails with a full events listing, local nature information, and access to more fun perks.