Welcome to the Yorkshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation
Butterflies are not only beautiful and fascinating creatures but are also highly responsive to the environment. David Attenborough described them as 'A thermometer of the health of our natural world' Almost every species of butterfly is in decline and a quarter are facing extinction. We have lost more than 97% of our traditional meadows and woodland in recent times so it is crucial we raise awareness about the threats facing our butterflies, moths, their habitats and our natural environment. Yorkshire Branch work in partnership with land owners, local authorities, conservation bodies, businesses and the local community to achieve this.
Here in Yorkshire the Duke of Burgundy and Pearl Bordered Fritillary are particularly vulnerable due to habitat loss and increasingly susceptible to extinction. Yorkshire also has the only remaining colony of the Dark Bordered Beauty Moth in England, on Strensall Common and is on the brink of extinction.
Become a member today and help us save butterflies, moths and their habitats. There are many rewarding roles volunteering in recording and conservation; you will be surprised to find out what is on your doorstep! We have a real challenge when 60% of children in the UK have never seen a Peacock butterfly according to a YouGov Survey and 78% of parents are concerned that children don’t spend enough time interacting with nature.
Your Guide to the Website
Menu Headings
Sightings : Please report your sightings by mail to webmaster@yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk or look what has been seen recently, plus first sightings and previous years
Events: See our Calender opposite for what is coming up. More about our fields trips, AGM+members day and work parties .
Sites: Find out about sites to visit near you with our interactive Map of more than 300 sites and a list of Top sites. Download one of our walks plus details of our reserves
Species Find out about our Yorkshire species and identification guides
Publications : to find the Argus twice annual news plus Annual report
Contacts Find your local recorder and who represents you on the committee
For info about moths go to http://www.yorkshiremoths.info/
News
17th September Have you ever wondered where all our records end up and how they are used well DEFRA have published their Butterfly report 1976-2019 https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918236/Butterflies_in_the_UK_1976_2019_FINAL.pdf that covers our species specialist and woodland Plus a report on the wider coutryside covering farmland and more https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918247/Butterflies_in_England_1990_2019_final.pdf
16th September Sir John Lawton famous for the seminal Lawton Report writes to the prime minister urging him to do more for nature recovery see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54171059
15th September The UN Biodiversity report published today ahead of the UN Bidiversity conference on 30th Sept. The UK failed to reach 17 of the 20 targets set in 2010 when representatives from 196 governments signed up to 20 targets. It was heralded as a blueprint to save the planet by restoring wildlife habitats. RSPB claim its a lost decade with 6 of the 20 UK targets going backwards. Its not too late and another chance in China next year when the same nations meet to set the targets for 2030.
14 September The Government’s £40 million Green Recovery Challenge Fund opens for applications. A fund of up to £40 million that will create jobs in nature recovery and conservation opens today. Grants from £50k to £5 million are now available to help the nation build back greener from the coronavirus pandemic, the government announced today in a press release. The fund will help create up to 3,000 jobs and safeguard up to 2,000 others in areas such as protecting species, finding nature-based solutions to tackling climate change, conservation rangers and connecting people with nature. Up to 100% of project costs will be available.
The common response from a mated female when being harrassed by another suiter is to lift its abdomen vertically Its wafting the NO! an anti-aphrodisiac, methyl salicylate. The female gets it during mating and besides repelling competing males its likely to attract these tiny hitchhiking egg parasitoids Tricogramma we know from small and large cabbage whites work in Holland reveals.
Website Updates: Photo Competition launched . AGM postponed to Spring 2021
Welcome to the New Website
It might have a new look bringing together all our social media as a 1 stop shop but we have included as much as possible of the old site so lovingly created and maintained by Jax Westmoreland and we thank her for her many years service. Its a legacy we treasure and we wish her well as Nick Hall takes on the role of webmaster. Our objective with creating the new site was that it should be dynamic with fresh content every time you visit as well visual and interactive. We wish to make our Yorkshire butterflies more accessible with our 'Sites' section with an interactive map and walks. We want to tell you more about what we do and about the 100's of volunteers that help on work parties, recording and transects. There is likely much we have missed and many errors so please do flag them. Coming soon: Where, When and How for finding each of our species with fieldcraft tips along with identification guides, the Top 50 sites to visit in Yorkshire and a guide to our Day flying moths. Please do make suggestions or even a contribution and let me know what you think of the new website. webmaster@yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk