Branch News

STOP EXTINCTION Appeal target reached! 11th December 2008

High Brown Fritillary

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 40^th 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!

NFU Mutual generously agreed to match pound for pound further donations* to Butterfly Conservation’s 40^th Anniversary STOP EXTINCTION Appeal.

Chief Executive, Dr Martin Warren said “I cannot emphasise enough how important it is, in these troubled financial times, for Butterfly Conservation to have sufficient funds to meet the cost of the essential work needed to save highly threatened species, like the Duke of Burgundy and the High Brown Fritillary.  NFU Mutual’s announcement has given a tremendous boost to our appeal”.

NFU Mutual  have sponsored Butterfly Conservation for many years and also donate £10 to the Society for every new insurance policy taken out by BC members.

*Up to a limit of £5,000.

Save Our Butterflies Week July 2008 gained lots of publicity over the whole country. Colwyn Borough Council won not only a Gold Medal at the RHS Tatton Show, but also 'Best in Show' for their Butterfly Garden inspired by our butterfly gardens in Colwyn Bay. (scroll down to see photo)The prize-winning planted butterflies from the Tatton Show will be mounted in other North Wales parks for the rest of the season.

They have also planted up a Butterfly Conservation anniversary bed in Colwyn Bay, next to Eryas Park.

The new UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority List was launched by the Minister for Biodiversity, Joan Ruddock, on 28th August 2007. This includes 24 butterflies and 81 moths new to the priority list. To see the full list click here; New UK BAP Butterfly and Moth Priority List (PDF -you need free software to download this file - see Home page for instructions if you can't read PDFs)

(to see the full list for all taxa go to www.ukbap.org.uk)

To find out more about the Local Biodiversity Action Plans click here LBAP to go to the relevant page on the menu.

Save Our Butterflies Week, held July 21-29 2007, was a national event intended to highlight the serious declines in Britain’s butterfly numbers. North Wales Branch ran a number of special events including inviting Iolo Williams to Conwy Butterfly Jungle on Saturday 28th. to open the new garden for wild butterflies we have made outside the tropical house.

photo Brian Roberts

Iolo said “when I was a boy there were butterflies everywhere and now we see very few. I urge everyone to join Butterfly Conservation, as I have, and help to save these beautiful creatures” then he released some wild Peacock butterflies onto the garden flowers. You can find out more about this tropical butterfly house at http://www.conwy-butterfly.co.uk/

 A nationwide quest for records of  moths in public gardens is being funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund; visit; www.mothscount.org

Rob Whitehead - a commemorative bench is now installed on Eyarth Rocks reserve, where he played such a vital part.

with great sadness we had to announce the death of Rob Whitehead on 2nd. December 2006, through cancer. His last message to Butterfly Conservation members was; 'Don't feel sad - I'm OK with it. I have had a wonderful life and I have seen the Promised Land with over 100 Pearl-bordered Fritillaries  back at Eyarth Rocks this year!'

Everyone who has been involved with North Wales Branch for any length of time will know that Rob made a massive contribution spanning more than 25 years. A more detailed obituary appeared in the Spring 2007 Branch newsletter.

September 2006

          M

New fence up on Eyarth Rocks Reserve -photographed 23rd. February 2006

Top of the footpath from Eyarth Bridge; new gate, style (donated by Denbighshire County Council), dog gate and stock proof fence erected  thanks to Objective One funding.

More of the new fence, looking in the other direction down towards Pwll Glas.

Steaming volunteers - some of the 9 volunteers who turned up in the snow (here drying out afterwards) to meet the Objective One Phoenix Project manager who came to see our clearance work and the new fence and wall-repairs on 23rd. February 2006. Grateful thanks to all volunteers who have worked on the reserve this winter; David Hinde, Mel Bellingham, Les Hall, Brian Bull, John Smith (pictured) and Rob Whitehead, Linda Joy, Betty Lee, Mike Howe and Jan Miller.

We have had fencing installed, thanks to EU Objective One funding, to allow limited sheep grazing in future, put up footpath signs and obtained funding for interpretation panels. Thanks are also due to CCW for contractor funding,

New Report on the status of Britain's Moths -

The moth population of Wales is in serious decline, causing concern for the future of many species of birds, bats and invertebrates that feed on them.

The decline is revealed in a new report entitled The State of Britain’s Larger Moths. The precise reasons for decline remain to be determined, though habitat loss and climate change are highly implicated.

Sir David Attenborough, in a foreword to the report, describes its conclusions “significant and worrying”. Sir David, who recently fascinated the nation with his BBC series Life in the Undergrowth, says: “Moths are valuable indicators of what is happening in our countryside. Other insects too are almost certainly in decline.”

The report’s key conclusions are:

• The number of larger moths in Britain has decreased by 32 per cent since 1968

• Southern Britain – including Wales – has seen a decrease in larger moth numbers of 44 per cent since 1968

• Twice as many moth species have declined as have increased

• Sixty-two moth species are believed to have become extinct in Britain during the twentieth century

Subsequent analysis shows that the losses in urban areas have been in the region of 50 per cent. Decreasing populations of some moths in the north have been counterbalanced by increases in others, particularly of those found more commonly in the south. This pattern indicates a response to climate change.

Of the 337 common moth species assessed for The State of Britain’s Larger Moths report, the Dusky Thorn has had the highest rate of decline (98 per cent). If Wales’s human population of 3 million in 1968 had undergone a similar decrease to that of the Dusky Thorn we would be left today with only enough people to populate Merthyr Tydfil, i.e. around 60,000.

A Dusky Thorn moth trapped at Eyarth Rocks reserve, near Ruthin.

Moths are integral to the food chains of Britain’s wildlife. For instance, the four most common garden birds all feed on moths or their caterpillars. In many cases they are eaten by nestlings as well as by adult birds. All 16 British species of bat feed on moths to some extent. However Sir David Attenborough, who is President of Butterfly Conservation, is anxious that moths are seen as more than just food for other creatures. He writes: “They are fascinating to study and worthy of conservation in their own right.”

Moths are very closely related to butterflies, but whereas there are only around 70 species of butterfly seen regularly in the UK there are some 2,500 species of moths.  Around ?900 species of larger moth have been recorded in North Wales

Moths have always suffered from bad PR. Their first bad press was in the Bible: “So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths,” Job13:28, and  “Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes,” James 5:2”.  And lots of people think that all moths eat clothes; in reality only about half a dozen of Britain’s 2,500 moth species eat clothes. And the ones that do eat them really prefer dirty clothes that are hidden away in the dark in places where they are not disturbed.

Most species fly by night but many, such as the Speckled Yellow and the Cinnabar, fly by day.Many moths are very colourful, including the brightly patterned tiger moths.

A Garden Tiger moth, photographed by Janet Graham – has hairy caterpillars often called “Woolley Bears” that used to be very common in gardens – now seriously in decline.

For further information regarding The State of Britain’s Larger Moths contact:

Russel Hobson, Senior Conservation Officer, Butterfly Conservation Wales. Phone 01792 642972, Mobile 07736 229593 Email rhobson.bcw@btconnect.com

Lester Cowling, Publicity Officer, Butterfly Conservation. Phone 01929 406008 Mobile 07976 363546 Email lcowling@butterfly-conservation.org

www.ukcip.org.uk – website all about climate change in the UK

Rothamsted Research is the largest agricultural research institute in the country and is sponsored by the BBSRC: www.bbsrc.ac.uk

For further information regarding Rothamsted Research contact:

Dr Elspeth Bartlet. Phone 01582 763133 ext 2260 Mobile 07870161628

Email elspeth.bartlet@bbscr.ac.uk

New Book to benefit Branch funds and publicity;

New book ; A country Diary for North Wales by Jan Miller is a collection of her columns from the Denbighshire Free press over the last two years, plus much additional material. The book gives a month-by-month guide to different wildlife to be seen in the region including butterflies and moths. It includes illustrations by Alan Wagstaff, in memoriam. A donation from the sale of each book will go to Branch funds. " I really did enjoy it, and see it very much in the tradition of naturalist writing that helps keep people both informed and passionate about places and wildlife. And there can be few more important things than that!" Jonathon Porritt CBE

Normally £7.95, members can order a copy for £6.95 from info@northwalesbutterflies.org.uk  including post and packing!

 South Wales Branch now have their own website - go to; http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/southwales/index.html

February 27th 2005; It is with great sadness that we have to announce the death of Alan Wagstaff, from cancer at the age of 34. Alan was one of the founder members of the new Branch, our excellent Newsletter editor, moth events leader, Recorder and wildlife artist who did so much to bring about the renaissance of Butterfly Conservation in North Wales. A full

obituary is in the Spring newsletter. Alan's sister writes to us below;

"When Alan was diagnosed with cancer my husband and I signed up to do a trek along the Inca Trail in Peru to raise £7000 for Cancer Research.At the time we didn’t know that Alan was going to lose his fight, but we’re still determined to raise as much money as possible. People can donate on-line on https://www.bmycharity.com/hazel or https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/cashforcancer or can send cheques payable to ‘Cancer Research UK’  I was just thinking that maybe some of your members would like to donate, and would welcome any additional ‘publicity’ in an area that was so important to him. Many thanks

Hazel Reed (nee Wagstaff)"

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