WelcomeWelcome to the Cheshire and Peak District Branch of Butterfly Conservation. We hope you enjoy your visit to our web site where you can access local information on butterflies and moths and find out about branch events and activities. |
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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! The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey (WCBS) goes ahead in 2009 By Dr Katie Cruickshanks, WCBS co-ordinator 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. The existing Transect network provides invaluable data on the status of butterflies, yet widespread habitats are under-recorded. More information on the fate of butterflies in these areas is needed. The new survey is intended to fill these gaps by complementing, rather than replacing, the existing Transect network. The pilot testing has thrown up some interesting information. Last year, despite the unsettled weather, nearly two thirds of the 1-km squares visited in 2007 were revisited by volunteers. In total 40 species were recorded. Importantly all 23 target species were detected in both pilot years which means that trends can be analysed to test whether classic Transects provide a truly representative picture of butterflies in the UK landscape as a whole. Volunteers who have participated in the pilot testing have shown considerable enthusiasm and it is hoped this will continue to grow. 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. Note: the National Butterfly Recorders' Meeting, Saturday 4th April 2009 will take place at the Birmingham and Midland Institute, Birmingham where the plans for the new survey will be explained as well as the usual highlights such as Transect results from 2008 and many interesting talks on the wider uses of butterfly data. |
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Life Cycle of the Orange Tip Butterfly | |
This short film will tell you the basics on the life cycle of a butterfly. The film forms part of the Butterfly Education Pack issued to all schools in Cheshire last year. If you want a copy of the Education Pack Please contact George Martin (details on committee page). Watch Life Cycle of the Orange Tip Butterfly (Windows Media Video/Audio File 3.66Mb - © MMIV Dream Catcher Films ). You can also view a slide show that summarises the life cycle using images from the film. Learn about the status of the Orange Tip butterfly in Cheshire and the Peak District. |
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