Somerset Butterfly Conservation Project Completed with £8,000 Investment

Experts focused on butterflies are marking the conclusion of an £8,000 initiative designed to support Chalk Hill Blues, Brown Hairstreaks, and Grizzled Skippers in Somerset. The national organization Butterfly Conservation has installed a new 850-meter perimeter fence surrounding its Stoke Camp nature reserve, located in the Mendip Hills. This barrier’s purpose is not to contain butterflies, but rather to manage the essential presence of cows and sheep, whose grazing habits maintain the vegetation and foster an ideal environment for numerous rare and vulnerable species. Dr. Max Anderson, who serves as Butterfly Conservation’s South West Landscape Officer, stated: “This might just look like a shiny new fence to most people but to us this represents the future.” Stoke Camp, situated 40 minutes south of Bristol, encompasses an 11-hectare nature reserve characterized by rare limestone grassland, ascending to an elevation of 265 meters on the Mendip ridge. In 2018, Butterfly Conservation, the organization responsible for managing the site over many years, documented 26 species within the reserve, among them the Chalk Hill Blue, Small Blue, Dingy Skipper, Grizzled Skipper, and Wall. The crucial factor contributing to the thriving butterfly population at Stoke Camp is the assistance provided by larger animals. The charity collaborates with a local farmer who allows sheep and Highland Cattle to graze on the land. These animals fulfill essential roles by consuming scrub plants that would otherwise dominate the grassland habitat, and by depositing manure that benefits valuable species. Mr. Anderson commented: “Making sure the livestock on this site are secure means we can confidently carry on grazing here for another 10 years.” “[We can] help precious rare species recover from decades of damage done by destruction of their natural habitats and overuse of pesticides.” The initiative, funded by a grant from the Valencia Communities Fund, received assistance at “every stage” from local volunteers John Ball and Peter Bright, who have served as honorary wardens for Stoke Camp for many years. Dr. Anderson remarked: “We love this site because we love butterflies. But they are also vitally important to the environment. They pollinate a wide range of crops and other plants, but they are also invaluable indicators of the wider health of the environment. If butterflies are doing well, it’s a very good sign that the whole ecosystem is doing well, too.” For updates, follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.