ann ual review for 2010/11 Saving butte rflies, moths and our environment Highlights of the year Overview by Chairman and Chief Executive In this Annual Review, we celebrate our achievements over the last year and look Several of our most threatened butterflies and moths Secured a core funding grant for Butterfly Conservation ahead to explain our ambitious “2020 vision” for the current decade and beyond. began to recover thanks to our landscape scale projects. Europe from the EU, which enabled the employment of staff for the first time. Successes include the Pearl- bordered Fritillary, Undoubtedly, the most significant success during 2010 is that several of our During the year, we have successfully concluded two of our biggest ever High Brown Fritillary, Duke of Burgundy, Wood White, most threatened species showed signs of recovery directly due to management projects (Moths Count and the South-East Woodlands project) and taken out Small Blue, Grey Carpet and Forester moths. Raised funds to continue our work to save threatened carried out as part of our landscape scale initiatives. Against the background leases on three important new reserves. Our success has been demonstrated species in Scotland, Wales and N. Ireland and for major of decades of decline and habitat loss, these increases show that our by a growth in membership to almost 16,000 and by the continuing support Acquired three new reserves which support important new landscape projects to save the Duke of Burgundy conservation strategy is working. of those members who have responded generously to our appeals and populations of threatened species: Myers Allotment on the South Downs and the Large Blue in Somerset. contributed voluntarily of their time, to the value of £9.5 million. in Lancashire; Mount Fancy in Somerset; Wester Moss On the recording front, we have collated nearly 20 million records of butterflies near Stirling. Sustained a high level of coverage in the media and and moths, all now available on the National Biodiversity Network. This impressive We also pay tribute to the enormous effort of our expert staff whose effort gives launched Twitter and Facebook accounts to spread our database underpins our conservation work and makes sure that we base such strength and depth to our work. Our challenge now is to continue to grow Completed the South-East Woodlands project, our message to a wider audience. our programmes on sound scientific evidence. The results showed that the and develop our work against the backdrop of severe financial constraints and largest ever landscape project, and produced a guide internationally agreed target to halt general biodiversity loss by 2010 was missed, reduced environmental spending by government. We are very conscious that to woodland management for butterflies and moths. but we now better understand the improvements needed to ensure that we hit butterflies, moths and the whole of the natural world are facing unprecedented the new target of restoring Lepidoptera biodiversity by 2020. pressures from a growing human population. We have thus developed an overall Launched a major new partnership with Marks & Spencer, plan for a step change in our work over the next decade. As part of our “2020 aimed at raising awareness of butterflies and encouraging vision” we will forge stronger collaborations with our conservation partners, their suppliers to become more wildlife friendly. using butterflies and moths as a litmus test for the whole of our environment. Maurice Avent Chairman Ran the Big Butterfly Count, a new scheme to engage the public in recording common species and thus assessing and Dr Martin Warren Chief Executive the health of our environment. Over 260,000 butterflies and moths were counted by over 10,000 recorders. “Butterflies are wonderful, extraordinary creatures. Numbers have been falling, but Butterfly Conservation scientists have Collated over 11.5 million records in the Moths Count demonstrated that these declines can be reversed. They have project, making it the largest single dataset currently also found that when you change the environment to help available on the National Biodiversity Network Gateway. butterflies thrive, all sorts of other wildlife benefits too. Nature comes back to life. ” Cover photograph Butterfly Conservation volunteers contributed work worth £9.5 million during the year, Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation, speaking at the 5-spot Burnet: One of the moths featured in our new Provisional Atlas equivalent to 688 full-time staff. launch of our major new partnership with the retailer Marks & Spencer. of Larger Moths. This included distribution maps for 868 species, the first time that such maps have been available for many species. A new 2020 vision for Butterfly Conservation Threatened species thriving on BC Nature Reserves During the year, Butterfly Conservation developed a ten year forward plan, known as the 2020 vision , at two A key part of Butterfly Conservation’s conservation strategy is to acquire important sites for strategic planning meetings by Council members and senior staff, refined in consultation with Branch Chairs. threatened species as reserves and use them to demonstrate best practice in habitat management. Overall vision: Strategic aims Our portfolio of nature reserves rose to 37 sites, covering over 750 hectares To create a strong and effective organisation that is capable of halting 1) Halt and reverse the decline of threatened species of butterflies of important butterfly and moth habitat across the UK. Our Branches and reversing the decline of butterflies and moths, and create a healthier and moths in the UK. also helped manage many ‘Partnership Reserves’ where we work with environment in which we all can live. 2) Increase the numbers of butterflies and moths across the wider landscape. other bodies to support important populations of butterflies and moths. Background and rationale 3) Maintain efficient, scientifically robust recording and monitoring During the year we negotiated leases on three new reserves: Butterflies and moths are a vital part of our wildlife heritage and valuable schemes making the best use of modern technology and continuing Myers Allotment in North Lancashire (a key site for High Brown and indicators of the health of the environment. However, the stark fact is that to influence Government and wider decision-making on the environment Pearl-bordered Fritillaries); Mount Fancy Farm in Somerset (a restoration site butterflies and moths are still declining at an alarming rate, despite Butterfly for the benefit of all species. for Wood White and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary); and Wester Moss in Conservation’s best efforts over the last 40 years. Our data show that they 4) Raise widespread awareness amongst the public and especially young Stirling (a peatland site supporting Large Heath and Wood Tiger Moth). are declining faster than most other well documented groups of plants and people, about the role of butterflies and moths in contributing to a healthy animals, so our task is both daunting and complex. In order to tackle these environment and the need to conserve them now and in the future. Several highly threatened species showed strong signs of recovery on losses and achieve the aims of the charity, Butterfly Conservation has to our reserves during 2010, including the Duke of Burgundy which had 5) Play a major role in establishing sustainable resourcing for Butterfly dramatically increase its capacity and influence over the next 10 years. a record year at our Prestbury Hill reserve in Gloucestershire. Conservation Europe to fulfil a long-term role of conserving butterflies The 2020 vision explains how we will achieve this ambitious goal. and moths across Europe. 6) Use our influence to support wider initiatives to conserve a healthy environment and ensure a secure future for both wildlife and people. 7) Significantly expand our member and supporter base to generate sustainable funds and give Butterfly Conservation a stronger voice at national and local levels. Our aspiration: 100,000 members/supporters. 8) Develop our volunteer, branch and external networks so that they contribute significantly to all the above outcomes as well as addressing local needs. 9) Secure the substantial increase in funding and other resources needed to sustain our work in the long term. Our aspiration: £10 million p.a. matched by Volunteer effort equivalent to £20million p.a. A key aim of the 2020 vision is to save high profile species such as the High Brown Fritillary , Large Blue and Slender Scotch Burnet from extinction. Our new reserve at Myers Allotment in The Marsh Fritillary re-colonised our reserve At Prees Heath in Shropshire our heathland restoration work is paying off A fuller version of the 2020 vision, showing key elements and rationale can be found in the full Annual Accounts on Butterfly Conservation’s website. North Lancashire is a crucial habitat for one at Alners Gorse in Dorset thanks to recent and large areas of formerly arable land are now blooming with heather for the of our most threatened butterflies, the High scrub clearance by Branch volunteers. first time in 50 years. We hope that the habitat will eventually enable the last Brown Fritillary, as well as supporting a range The Brown Hairstreak had its best year ever too. surviving colony of the Silver-studded Blue in the West Midlands to expand. of other rare species. Threatened species success in landscape projects Butterfly Conservation is focussing effort