Surrey and SW London news

Big Butterfly Count sees a drop in participants compared to 2020 and 2021, and urges the public not to forget the benefits of being connected to nature – and it’s not too late to take part!
 

Shae Wiedermann is studying for a Masters in Ecology, Culture and Society at Goldsmiths College, London. She volunteered with the Big City Butterflies project and tells us about her time with the team...

Gland, Switzerland, 21 July 2022 (IUCN) – The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus), known for its spectacular annual journey of up to 4,000 kilometres across the Americas, has entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM as Endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change. 
 

Butterfly Conservation launches this year’s Big Butterfly Count with a warning that time is running out to help save species.

The heatwave currently being experienced by some southern and eastern parts of the UK is of concern for human health and the welfare of pets and livestock, but what about our butterflies?

A coalition of seven environmental organisations has expressed concern over new plans for a golf course at Coul Links in East Sutherland.

Threatened species in Scotland have today received a £4.2m lifeline from The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).

Butterfly Conservation welcomes the recently published EU Nature Restoration Law. Grassland ecosystems are one of the most damaged and threatened ecosystems and populations of butterflies and other wild pollinators are in decline.

Successful conservation projects in Kent have resulted in a record level of sightings of the Duke of Burgundy, a threatened butterfly species.

A new rare and beautiful species of moth appears to have colonised the South Downs.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is launching a Kent-wide moth spotting week next week (20th-27th June 2022), urging people across the county to get outdoors and take part in spotting an array of important and surprisingly colourful moths. 

Moths struggling to move north to adapt to climate change in the UK could be assisted by pinpointing areas where habitat restoration can give them a smoother journey.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is warning that time is running out to save some of Britain’s best-loved insects, with the latest Red List assessment of butterflies published today, revealing a 26% increase in the number of species threatened with extinction.

Moth enthusiasts, conservationists and the public will be heading for the woods for the UK's largest annual Moth Night event - running on days and nights from 19th - 21st May.

TV gardener, and Butterfly Conservation's Vice-president, Alan Titchmarsh, calls on people to create a Pit Stop for Pollinators this spring, and provide butterflies and moths with the plants they need for survival.

Scotland’s lowland bogs are vital habitat for butterflies and moths, but sadly many are in poor condition due to historic drainage for agriculture and forestry.

Dr Richard Fox has been part of Butterfly Conservation for almost 24 years. Now Head of Science, we met with Richard to discuss his role and the importance of recording and collecting data, as well as his own love of butterflies and moths.

Results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) show that while the overall picture for butterflies in 2021 was poor, species that are the focus of targeted conservation efforts have fared well.

The abundance of Painted Lady butterflies seen in the UK varies hugely from year to year, and more so than for any other butterfly species.

Phil Sterling, Building Sites for Butterflies Programme Manager, looks at how new road verges are set to change in coming years.

A new database that holds a wealth of information on all the butterflies and larger moths found in Great Britain and Ireland has been published, enabling researchers and conservationists to have ecological information about butterflies and macro-moths in the same place for the first time.

A joint statement from NGOs campaigning for an end to peat sales says there is no time to waste in protecting our peatlands.

The UK government has authorised the emergency use of neonicotinoid pesticide - which is almost entirely banned in the EU because of the known harm it can cause butterflies, bees and other wildlife.

Everyone, everywhere, should be able to grow up, and grow old, with nature. This is why Butterfly Conservation, along with more than 60 other organisations to demand a legal right to nature.

The rare moth was sighted during a survey by Butterfly Conservation.

Public able to see the rare butterfly in England for the first time in more than 40 years.

Want to reconnect with the wild in 2022? We have some suggestions for ways to bring a little bit of nature into your life this year.

Our guide to helping butterflies and moths through the coldest months of the year.

We're asking people to help butterflies and moths by leaving leaf litter, keeping branches and letting plant stems go uncut in the garden this winter. So here are some ideas for alternatives to gardening this winter.

The leaves in your garden could be hiding a multitude of insects this winter.