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. Founded in 1981 Yorkshire branch wil be 40 years old next year and has more than 1700 members.
Website Updates:
The National AGM was recorded see below :
The Judging is complete on the photo competition and results are imminent.
Yorkshire Branch AGM postponed to Spring 2021
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/
Focus
Nature is in crisis. Play your part to protect our planet. Butterfly Conservation are calling on you to be YourOwnButterflyEffect and make changes in your life. From how you eat, shop, garden and even enjoy nature itself, discover how you can make a difference see here
News
Dec 5th Soil is fundamental to our existance and the world economy. Not only does it feed us but it contains 25% of the world's organisms and 4 times the amount of carbon than in the atmoshere and its health is critical in slowing climate change. In the UK agricultural soils have lost nearly 50% of their carbo in recent decades from intensive farming. Lets support truly sustaianable agriculture because at the same time we are restoring the whole natural world.
Dec 3rd The Woodmeadow Trust celebrates 1000 species of invertebrates discovered in the mixture of woodland and meadow that combine the biodiversity of both habitats and offer hope of rapidly tackling declines in nature. Watch their new film and read more here. Inspiring and an exemplar of what can be achieved with just an old barley field which now boasts 26 species of Butterfly including this year, for the first time, Dark Green Fritillary!
Watch the Big City Butterfly Project Webinar and see what is possible to create when our cities could become more biodiverse than our countryside. watch here
Highways England is introducing new measures to help wildflowers thrive alongside roads, according to an exclusive story in the Guardian. “Under the new low nutrient grasslands policy, Highways England contractors will be obliged to create conditions for species-rich grasslands to thrive using low fertility soils with chalk and limestone bases. The verges will then be allowed to regenerate naturally or be seeded with wildflowers,” reports Patrick Greenfield. The policy will only apply to larger new projects at first, but the aim is to extend the initiative to pre-existing roads in the future. Lets hope 'cut-n-collect' once or twice pe ryear becomes the norm
November 30th George Eustace sets out the Road Map for Sustainable Farming after the passing of the Agriculture Bill earlier in November. It Introduces the Environmental Land Management Scheme(ELMS) to incentivise sustainable farming practices, create habitats for nature recovery and establish new woodland to help tackle climate change. An easy to read introduction here
November 27th
Join the UK Moth Recorders Annual meeting Saturday 30th January . Its virtual and open to everyone. Book here
November 23rd A excellant virtual training session on leaf miner moths see here
November 20th Moth Academy! Moth trapping has become increasingly popular through lockdown and there is a significant surge in interest in getting your own trap. BC Yorkshire are considering a simple format regular zoom event where contributers share images and talk about moths in light traps set the previous night, and to follow this with an ID masterclass on separating tricky species. Please email webmaster@yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk if this would be of interest to you?