Researchers are concerned that butterfly populations may be in decline, possibly signaling a worsening environment.

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island has listed the results of the fifth annual North American Butterfly Association Butterfly Count for Rhode Island on the Audubon Web site, www.asri.org.

By DAMIEN JAQUES There is only one good reason for a theater company in 2008 to produce the 39-year-old comedy "Butterflies Are Free." The troupe has an actress who is a sure fit for the play's pivotal character, a cute and quirky 19-year-old divorcee who enchants and infuriates an audience.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. _ You've got to have one to get the other _ caterpillars if you want butterflies. Every year, readers call me about caterpillars defoliating plants, especially parsley, dill and fennel, even some shrubs and trees. In the caterpillar world, there are good ones and bad ones.

The volunteers tote a butterfly net, binoculars and field guides around the Miami Metrozoo grounds, scanning the plants and flowers for fluttering wings. But they aren't searching for a rare species or collecting specimens for display - they're counting butterflies.