A project to save a rare butterfly from possible extinction in Dorset has received a £500 Wessex Watermark Award.

The Duke of Burgundy butterfly has declined by 75% in the county since the 1980’s, but the money coming from the Wessex Watermark Award will help fund conservation work to secure the butterfly’s future.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation (BC) has identified nine sites which either support the Duke of Burgundy already, or have the potential to provide breeding habitat for the butterfly.

Wessex Water’s Ecologist, Lucy Ryvar, delivered the cheque to BC's head office in East Lulworth on Wednesday 6 July.

BC’s Conservation Officer, Rachel Jones, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to receive this funding from the Wessex Watermark Award, as only seven colonies of this butterfly remain in Dorset and some of these populations are so small, they are now vulnerable to extinction.

“The money will help us to restore and create new habitats for the Duke of Burgundy in the Cerne and Sydling Valleys network. We will work with local volunteers to help clear sites that have become overgrown with scrub and will also give advice to landowners on how they can help the butterfly too.”

The Duke of Burgundy is a small, orange and brown butterfly which can be found in sunny woodland clearings or on scrubby grassland.

The adult butterfly rarely visits flowers and most sightings are of the territorial males as they perch on a prominent leaf at the edge of scrub.

The females are elusive and spend much of their time resting or flying low to the ground looking for suitable egg-laying sites. Eggs are laid on the caterpillar foodplants, either Cowslip or Primrose.

Rachel added: “This project has caught the imagination of quite a few local groups, as no one wants to see the extinction of a local species in their area. With the support of the Watermark Award and our volunteers, we hope to stop that from happening.” 

Anyone interested in helping this butterfly can find out how to get involved in the project by emailing Rachel Jones at: @email