Working with woodland owners, the project hopes to improve habitat conditions for woodland specialist butterflies and moths.

Many of our rare and declining woodland species, including Grizzled Skipper, Dingy Skipper, White Admiral, Clay Fan-foot moth and Olive Crescent moth can be found here.

There are many opportunities for you to get involved including enjoying project events and during the winter, work parties undertaking practical conservation tasks on key sites in the project area. If you would like to help us find and record butterflies in the Rother Woods please contact project officer Steve Wheatley.

Results of the 2009 survey season in Rother can be found on the Sussex Branch website: click here

Here are some of the achievements so far:

Over 120 Rother landowners and managers have been identified and contacted and informed of events, developments and opportunities.

56 site advice visits have taken place to help owners and managers improve their properties for wildlife, access grants, identify good contractors and arrange wildlife surveys.

Help given to woodland owners in applying for woodland improvement grants totalling over £81,000.

Support has been given to landowners applying for Environmental Stewardship grants. In particular over 250 acres of woodland has been entered into Natural England's Higher Level Stewardship Scheme.

Support given to woodland contractors applying for grants through the WARR partnership and other funding bodies for equipment and training and investing in infrastructure.

Over £14,000 was raised and spent on improving the ride network at Beckley Woods for butterflies and other wildlife. A further £45,000 is being sought for further wildlife enhancements in the area.

Over 1,000 attendees (including over 300 children) have been involved in our events in Rother. This has included guided walks, workshops, school visits, and a Woodland Celebration BBQ.

More than 70 volunteers have contributed a total of over 1,000 hours to the project. This has included recording wildlife and improving habitats in Rother.

Over 10,000 butterfly sightings in Rother have been recorded. This helps to raise the profile of the Rother District and demonstrate its importance to local authorities and govt agencies.

28 butterfly species have been recorded and their distributions mapped. Important colonies of Grizzled Skipper and Dingy Skipper (both UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species) have been discovered. Our data has also shown that Rother is also a stronghold for the White Admiral butterfly (another UKBAP species).

Over 600 moth species have been recorded in Rother including 3 Red Data Book moths, 2 UK BAP species and 8 Nationally Scarce species. Our survey data provides valuable feedback to landowners and managers. In total, over 200 moth species have been recorded in Rother gardens.

To get involved please contact Rother Woods Project Officer Steve Wheatley, click here.