RARE butterflies are thriving at Draycote Water thanks to a team of volunteers.
The Warwickshire branch of Butterfly Conservation and Severn Trent Water volunteers have created a south facing bank of earth that has been seeded with wild plants including strawberries, creeping cinquefoil and kidney vetch seed.
The vegetation will grow into food and create a happy home for endangered butterflies like the Grizzled Skipper and the Small Blue.
Ranger Ian Martindale said: “The hard work of our four volunteers – Michael Cox, Cathy Wood, Rachael Cox, and Shirley Rhodes – has meant we can help to protect these endangered butterflies.
“The Grizzled Skipper and the Small Blue are priority species on a countrywide action plan, which is supported by the Warwickshire branch of Butterfly Conservation.
“In the future we have plans for a community orchard and a local school is interested in coming to help us plant the trees. We’d very much like the butterfly haven to be enjoyed by the local community too.”
Volunteer from the Butterfly Conservation Mike Slater added: “Across the UK today, three-quarters of our butterflies have shown a ten-year decrease in either their distribution or population levels.
“We know that projects like this work and will help reverse the decline of butterflies at risk of extinction.”
“We’d encourage visitors be on the look out for butterflies and pop into the Draycote rangers’ office to let them know what varieties they’ve spotted, or visit our website warwickshire-butterflies.org.uk to report them.”
Mike Slater, Michael Cox, Rachael Cox, Cathy Wood and Shirley Rhodes (s)
The bund is also a home for the rare Small Blue butterfly. Picture by Keith Warmington.
The bund was created to create a home for rare species including the Grizzled Skipper. Picture by Keith Warmington.
