As Simon Saville completes his 1,200 mile cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats, he reflects back on the past 30 days in his final Bike for Butterflies blog.
Made it!
As the famous John o'Groats sign came into view I felt very emotional. A mixture of relief, joy, thanks, pride - and exhaustion.
I set out on this 1,200 mile journey 30 days ago with trepidation, not knowing whether I could do it, or what might befall me on the way.
It has turned out to be an incredible adventure. I will treasure memories of stunning landscapes, wonderful wildlife sites and beautiful butterflies that I've seen. And I've learned a lot about our countryside and its wildlife.
Seeing hundreds of Silver-studded Blues at Prees Heath Common was a particular highlight, one of many. It reminded me of my childhood when I could see clouds of butterflies in the hay meadows, and I'm not ashamed to admit that it brought a tear to my eye.
I'll also remember soaring through the hills of the Forest of Bowland towards the Cross o' Greet, and the feeling of euphoria as I reached 482m at the top of Exmoor - the highest point of the ride.
But there have been low moments too. Battling through torrential rain in the northwest was one of them. Watching my satnav become waterlogged and die was another, and on the same day. More than once, I felt utterly drained at the end of a long and hilly ride. At times I wondered whether I would make it to my overnight stop. It was the thought of the support that I had from so many people that kept me going. That and the money we were raising for Butterfly Conservation. I just couldn't let them down.
Overall, I've visited over 40 wildlife sites, including seven of Butterfly Conservation's wonderful reserves, and clocked up 34 different species of butterfly. I had hoped to see more, but the weather was against me. More worrying was that butterflies were far fewer in number than I'd expected. Nature certainly needs our help.
Most of all, though, I will remember the passionate, generous and big-hearted people that I met on the way. They helped me when times got tough; they chivvied me along; they were endlessly hospitable; and they gave freely of their time and knowledge.
It's them, and others like them, who really make a difference for wildlife. Thank you all.
Finally, I send my thanks to everyone who has donated to the Bike For Butterflies cause. Their support will help Butterfly Conservation do even more to help our beleaguered butterflies and moths.
Simon Saville
Wed 21st July
There's still time to sponsor Simon and help him reach his goal of raising £25,000 to help fight the decline of butterflies and moths. Show your support for him and for these precious species by donating here.
Notes
● See www.bikeforbutterflies.org for details of the ride
● Follow Simon on Twitter @sbsaville
● There's still time to make a donation at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bikeforbutterflies
About Simon
● Simon Saville is a trustee of Butterfly Conservation and is Chair of the Surrey & SW London Branch. He lives in London, is a proud promoter of the Big City Butterflies project, and is a London National Park City Ranger.