Together we can make a difference
Most British butterfly species are declining, some of them very rapidly.
That's worrying. Not just because we're heading towards summers without butterflies, but also because these declines can indicate an underlying deterioration of the environment.
We here at Butterfly Conservation are determined to change this. We're involved in scores of landscape-scale projects to restore and reinvigorate the countryside.
Join us in our campaign. Help us get nature back in balance.
Together we can reverse these butterfly declines. Simply by becoming a member of Butterfly Conservation you do something important not just for Britain's butterflies, but for the planet as a whole.
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Butterfly Day at Iford Manor Sunday 26th July
On Sunday 26th July as part of Save Our Butterflies Week, the Wiltshire Branch of the Butterfly Conservation will be holding a free family Butterfly Day at Iford Manor, six miles south of Bath, just off A36 . The event will run from 11:30am until 4pm and follows up on the very successful event held there on the same weekend last year.
A number of moth traps will be set up at Iford Manor overnight the night before, with the catch, hopefully about 50 species, on display for viewing on the day.
Children's events will include a butterfly orientated treasure hunt, a colouring competition, butterfly face painting and story telling. Guided walks around the estate to identify butterflies and moths will be conducted at regular intervals through-out the day. In addition, an on-the-day digital photograph competition will be held for both old and young. You are recommended to bring your own picnic to enjoy beside the River Frome and refreshments, ice creams and soft drinks will be available from the Iford Manor tearooms from 12 noon onwards.
If it is raining in the morning and forecast to continue all day the event will be cancelled. No dogs will be allowed onto the estate.
The Wiltshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation has helped preserve the populations of threatened species such as the Duke of Burgundy and the Marsh Fritillary, both of which are in serious decline. The Duke of Burgundy is the country's most threatened species and Wiltshire is now its strongest toehold thanks to the efforts of Branch members.
For more information about the Iford event, contact Hugo Brooke at the Butterfly Conservation, Wiltshire branch, on 01225329248.
The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) goes ahead in 2009
After two years of pilot testing, a new method of monitoring butterflies in widespread habitats, such as farmland and upland moorland, is to be rolled out nationwide this year. The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey method has been developed by Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology as part of the UKBMS project.
There has been close involvement with the British Trust for Ornithology and the method is based on the highly successful Breeding Bird Survey. We hope that many BTO recorders will be returning to their bird sites this summer to collect butterfly data as part of the survey along with many new surveys completed by BC recorders.
The new method involves making a minimum of two visits to a randomly selected square near to your home between May and August to count butterflies along two 1km survey lines running roughly north-south through the your square. The survey will be co-ordinated centrally by BC but we aim to find a Champion in each Branch to help find willing volunteers. We are aiming for 20 squares per Branch.
Please email survey@butterfly-conservation.org or call 01929 406036 to register interest in taking part and you will be contacted in early spring with instructions and the location of your random 1km survey square. Keep an eye on www.butterfly-conservation.org/wcbs for more information.
NFU Mutual's £ for £ pledge pays off!!
BC's Chairman, Maurice Avent, has praised the generosity of NFU Mutual to the STOP EXTINCTION Appeal. "The timely £ for £ pledge has revitalised Butterfly Conservation's 40th Anniversary Appeal in its closing stages, doubling donors' contributions. I am delighted to tell you that our members and supporters rose to the challenge and with huge thanks to the NFU Mutual, we have just passed the £100,000 target." Butterfly Conservation relies heavily on donations to its annual appeal to plan and carry out conservation all over the UK to save butterflies, moths and their habitats. Martin Warren, BC's Chief Executive commented "Given the current financial downturn, this fund could not have come at a better time. I know our projects really are making a difference and several species are responding well to treatment. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this appeal and especially to NFU Mutual for their magnificent support. The generosity of everyone who has donated to the appeal shows how the need for large scale and ongoing conservation action is now widely recognised."
Keep an eye on the national website for news of our 2009 Appeal: in conjunction with the Landfill Communities Fund we plan, not just to double your gift, but to multiply the value ten times over!
How did Wiltshire's Butterflies fare this year?
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The Brown Hairstreak Butterfly in North Wiltshire
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