Signs of Recovery for Threatened Butterflies s1

PRESS RELEASE for immediate release All The Better For Moorland Butterflies

The decline of three of the UK’s most threatened butterflies could be reversed across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset with the launch of a ground-breaking conservation project.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) has been awarded more than £318,000 for the ‘All the Moor Butterflies’ project by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

These funds will help to restore and create habitat for the High Brown Fritillary, Heath Fritillary and Marsh Fritillary on some of the UK’s most famous moorland landscapes – Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor.

These three butterflies are in serious decline due to habitat loss and changes in land management, with a 70% reduction in their distribution recorded over the last 40 years.

The project will also benefit the nationally scarce Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth, which is still found across the south west. This stunning bumble-bee mimic can be seen visiting plants in the daytime from mid-April until July.

The ‘All the Moors Butterflies’ project will help volunteers, landowners and farmers to learn more about these charismatic species and discover how they can help them recover and thrive.

Training days, guided walks, butterfly surveys and conservation work parties will be held across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset over the next three years to encourage the public to get involved with the project.

Landowners and farmers will also be invited to visit demonstration sites set up by BC and their project partners to advise on and showcase the type of land management work that would benefit these species.

Jenny Plackett, Butterfly Conservation’s South West Regional Officer, said: “We are really delighted to have been awarded this grant. Volunteers are at the heart of our work saving threatened species, but with this project we will be able to offer opportunities for a whole new audience, including young people and those with mental health problems, to have access to these landscapes, enjoy their unique wildlife and take an active role in conservation. With everyone working together, we hope to secure the future of our moorland butterflies and other wildlife as well.”

Nerys Watts, Head of HLF South West, said: “Beautiful and a source of inspiration for writers and scientists through the centuries, butterflies are an integral part of healthy landscapes and of our natural heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players we’re delighted to support this project which will enable volunteers, landowners and farmers to play a role in creating a bright future for a number of threatened species on our moorlands.”

The project will launch across Cornwall, Devon and Somerset in January. To find out more information please contact Jenny Plackett at: [email protected] Notes Butterfly Conservation are recruiting a Conservation Officer and Community Engagement Officer for the ‘All the Moor Butterflies’ project.

For information visit www.butterfly-conservation.org/jobs

Contacts For further pictures or interviews, please contact Katie Callaghan at the Butterfly Conservation Press Office on 01929 406037, or email [email protected]

Heritage Lottery Fund contact for the South West: Rebecca Lamm. Call: 020 7591 6027 or email [email protected]

Heritage Lottery Fund - Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about - from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. www.hlf.org.uk @heritagelottery

Butterfly Conservation is the UK charity dedicated to saving butterflies, moths and our environment. Our research provides advice on how to conserve and restore habitats. We run projects to protect more than 100 threatened species and we are involved in conserving hundreds of sites and reserves. www.butterfly-conservation.org @savebutterflies

Butterfly Conservation is also working in partnership with the National Trust, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Cornwall AONB, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Exmoor National Park Authority to develop the ‘All the Moor Butterflies’ HLF project.