This week is Save Our Butterflies Week (22nd-30th July).

Like much of our wildlife, butterflies and moth populations have been challenged by the changes in agricultural and forestry practice over the last fifty to sixty years. Loss of pasture & hay meadows, drainage of wetlands and marshes, the destruction & mismanagement of hedgerows and the increasing use of herbicides and pesticides have all contributed to the decline in numbers of many species.

However, there are still some fifty plus species of butterflies that regularly breed here, with occasional overseas visitors. Some forty of these species may be found in woods, and 16 species are more closely associated with woodland habitats to complete their life cycle. The summer months are a good time to observe both butterflies and moths ‘on the wing’.

Several species are under threat and some are now extinct, only to be found as specimens in museum collections. A number of others are critical, for example the High Brown Fritillary and the Heath Fritillary, whose numbers have declined by over 90% since the 1950’s. If you want to support butterfly and moth conservation, visit:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/support/index.html

If you enjoy photography and wildlife, you might like to visit UK Butterflies and consider entering their photography competition.