The father of the Dishman Hills Natural Area had his mind on the land, birds, flora and fauna in the 1960s when he helped spearhead the movement to preserve open spaces in the rapidly developing Spokane Valley.

And always had an eye out for butterflies.

Tom Rogers, the late University High School biology teacher, compiled an impressive multiyear survey of butterflies found in the Spokane Valley.

“He was the last person looking deeply into the diversity of butterflies in the area,” said John Baumann, president of the Washington Butterfly Association.

Most of his collection of more than 300 species specimens is preserved at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

“It takes a special person for this gentle, time-consuming, patient process,” Baumann said. “Much as it did to work to preserve hundreds of acres for nature.

“Rogers shared his knowledge with adults and children. He didn’t just file his data in a lab.”

Today the much-expanded Dishman Hills Conservation Area is overseen by the Spokane County Parks and Recreation department and includes land owned and managed by the Dishman Hills Conservancy, the modern version of the group Rogers co-founded.