FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. — Fort Indiantown Gap announced Friday that the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs will be conducting free guided tours of the only population of the rare fritillary butterfly in the eastern U.S. this summer.
The tours will be offered throughout the months of June and July, the facility's communications office said in a press release.
The fritillary butterfly is often mistaken for its more famous distant cousin, the monarch butterfly, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Most are orange and black like the monarchs, but with a different pattern.
They are as attractive and their life histories are perhaps just as interesting, although they do not make the monarch’s incredible journey all the way to Mexico, the Forest Service said.
Reservations are required to see the Gap's butterfly population, and attendance is limited. All attendees, including children, must register online and obtain a free permit, the facility said.
To attend a tour, you must present a permit for that specific date and time slot, the facility said.
Guided tours will be offered, rain or shine, on June 30 and July 1, 7 and 8.
No rain dates will be provided.
“These tours allow the public to see this rare butterfly and its grassland habitat on military training ranges, as well as the many other natural wonders on the 17,000-acre military installation,” said John Fronko, director DMVA Bureau of Environmental Management. “Staff will also highlight a variety of animals and plants found at Fort Indiantown Gap and how the military presence on the installation is vital to the persistence of these species and their ecosystems.”
Attendees will be required to travel from the meeting location to the tour location in their personal vehicles. Tours will last approximately one hour plus driving time. Meeting location and parking information will be provided after obtaining a permit.
Visitors of all ages and abilities are welcome to attend. Tours will be on foot on gravel roads and mowed paths. Visitors are advised to bring drinking water and wear appropriate clothing and footwear for uneven terrain. No wandering off the path or away from the tour guide will be permitted.
There will be little or no shade on the tour route, the facility said.
"Fort Indiantown Gap is home to a diverse population of plants and animals, many of which are rare and considered species of conservation concern," the facility said. "It is home to 49 species of mammals, 143 species of breeding birds, 37 species of reptiles and amphibians, 35 species of fish, more than 800 species of plants, and many notable species of invertebrates including 86 species of butterflies and more than 500 species of moths.
"These species persist at FTIG because it provides an assortment of high-quality habitats. This includes rare early successional ecosystems such as grasslands, thickets, shrub lands, and young forests which were created and maintained from disturbances caused by military training, fires, and conservation efforts."
Fort Indiantown Gap said it is home to 1,000 acres of scrub oak and pitch pine barrens and approximately 2,200 acres of native grassland habitat – the largest in the state.
The facility, located near Annville, Lebanon County, serves as headquarters to the DMVA and the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG), and is the only live-fire, maneuver military training facility in Pennsylvania.
