Boosting one of UK’s most endangered butterflies.

For many of us the Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly was a regular sight on summers days but for today’s youngsters it’s a rare sight. With about two thirds of the butterflies colonies wiped out over the last 25 years a new project in Devon is hoping to reverse its decline.

A partnership between the Forestry Commission at the Haldon Forest and charity Butterfly Conservation is hoping to bring back some traditional wood management techniques that will aid the butterfly.

We have a long standing relationship with Butterfly Conservation, and we are so pleased to have been able to work with them on this important project to improve habitats for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

Pearl-bordered fritillary affected by modern forestry methods.

The Pearl-bordered Fritillary used to thrive in areas that were produced with traditional woodland management. Woodland glades and rides used to provide the ideal conditions for the wild plants and wild flowers that the butterfly depended on. The butterfly also prefers to lay its eggs on wild violets.

The project aims to improve sites in the Haldon forest that have breeding populations of the Pearl-bordered Fritillary and also to improve scrub-land to connect up areas and allow the butterfly to expand its territory.

Opening up scrub land for wild flowers to flourish.

It total about 1.5 hectares of land will be coppiced and cleared in order to open up the land to allow wild flowers to flourish.

Ben Phillips, Area Forester for the Forestry Commission, said “Modern forest management is about a lot more than just producing timber.

“These are working forests, producing around 10,000 tonnes of timber every year, but it is also managed to provide excellent recreation opportunities to the public and sympathetically to look after the many different species that live within it.

“We have a long standing relationship with Butterfly Conservation, and we are so pleased to have been able to work with them on this important project to improve habitats for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary.”

Butterfly Conservation’s Project Officer, Jenny Plackett, said: “It’s fantastic to see the management work getting underway, and we are hopeful that the habitat improvements will soon show a positive impact on butterfly numbers – the Pearl-bordered Fritillary tends to respond very quickly to management.”

Volunteers preparing the ground for butterflies.

Local volunteers have played an important part in preparing for the project. Over the last few months they have undertaken habitat assessment, butterfly monitoring and last summer was spent collecting wild violet seeds for propagation ready for planting this year.

The project is funded by the SITA Trust which receives its funding from the landfill tax. The SITA Trust has funded a number of other butterfly conservation projects including the Duke of Burgundy butterfly on the South Downs.

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