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 1800 members.

NEW : Introducing our new sighting system: for recording butterflies, sharing your pics , More HERE

NEW: Introducing our new You Tube channel with all our latest recording GO HERE and subcribe

COMING SOON: The very first of its kind Interactive Online Butterfly Atlas.

This website is actively under construction and links may not work and things may move Please be patient

Your Guide to the Website

Menu Headings

An 'Introduction to the Yorkshire Branch of Butterfly Conservation' online event held on 25th Febuary

Our first online event was rather special and proved to be very popular and well recieved. Held to allow our members to meet those closely involved with helping conserve Yorkshire's species and key people within our branch, including committee members, recorders, and BC regional staff and hear what they are involved in. BC Yorkshire wants to ensure we are doing the best possible job for our members, as well as our butterflies.

You can watch all our past events recordings on YouTube HERE

If you watch our video we do want to know what you think of our efforts so email webmaster@yorkshirebutterflies.org.uk

News

27th March 10-1pm UK Butterfly Recorders meeting by Zoom

10:00 - Welcome, Russel Hobson, Butterfly Conservation

10:10 - Butterflies for the New Millennium update, Zoë Randle, Butterfly Conservation

10:30 - UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme update, Ian Middlebrook, Butterfly Conservation

10:40 - UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme 2020 results, Marc Botham, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

11:00 - Comfort Break

11:20 - Reintroducing the Chequered Skipper to Rockingham Forest, Susannah O’Riordan, Butterfly Conservation

11:50 - Counting butterflies in Europe, Chris van Swaay, De Vlinderstichting, Netherlands

12:20 - Closing remarks

12:30 - End and lunch

13:00-2:30pm - County Butterfly Recorder Meeting

February 23rd Patrick Barkham writing in the Guardian highlights the row over UK tree-planting drive: 'We want the right trees in the right place' as multple agencies critisise the rush the Forestry commision are in to get trees in the ground to match government ambitious targets. But it cannot be at a substantial cost to biodiversity as Patrick outlines many examples including Butterfly Conservation's objection to tree planting in Wareham Forest where Grayling still strive and would be lost by tree planting.

February 23rd The revolution in farming commences with DEFRA launchs of new Sustainable Agriculture Incentive. Farmers can signup now to comemence in October 21 MORE HERE

February 20th Martin Partridge, chair of Yorkshire Branch was interviewed by Radio Leeds about 'Brown Argus and its movement north'. Listen Below

Brown Argus BBC Radio Leeds 17.02.2021.mp3

February 16th Yorkshire Post carries a write up of our YNU online meeting with Martin Partridge chair of BC Yorkshire who made an enlightening presentation on the 'Movement north of Brown Argus' Watch the recording HERE

'WILD WEDNESDAY' March 3 16.30 - 17.30 with a Live moth trapping event with Steve from the Brilliant Butterflies team as he safely catches and identifies some of the magnificent moths in his garden in Surrey. Book HERE

DIARY

Science Spotlight : Are Grizzled Skippers stuck in the south?

Population‐level responses of an early‐successional specialist butterfly to climate across its UK range over 40 years

Authors: Fiona Bell Marc Botham Tom M. Brereton Andy Fenton Jenny Hodgson First published: 09 February 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13245

Climate change has been predicted to facilitate poleward (northern) expansion of many early‐successional specialist invertebrates. The Grizzled Skipper, Pyrgus malvae, is a threatened butterfly in long‐term decline that has not met expectations of northern expansion in Britain, possibly indicating that climate change has not improved northern habitat suitability or that another driver (e.g. land use change) is masking its effects. The article explores the effect of climate on population size trends over four decades, and whether any regions show an improving population trend that may be a precursor to northern expansion.

We found that P. malvae population size declined more over time in the north and west of its UK range than in the south and east, and was negatively related to high December temperature and summer rainfall. However, the effect sizes of temperature and rainfall were minimal