Sarah Meredith, Butterfly Conservation’s Large Blue Conservation Officer and David Simcox, of Habitat Designs Ltd and project manager for the Large Blue Committee have been jointly awarded the UK Butterflies Outstanding Contribution Award for 2018.
Sarah has been working on the Large Blue for a number of years and joined BC in 2014 working on the Duke of Burgundy. She is now responsible for helping to conserve the Large Blue in Somerset and Gloucestershire working alongside David Simcox and the many individuals and partner organisations this work entails. Sarah led on the ‘Dukes and Blues in the Cotswolds’ partnership project which worked across a network of 11 sites to help expand populations of both the Duke of Burgundy and Large Blue. The Biffa Award funding came to an end in December 2017 but the good work continues through the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Back from the Brink ‘Limestone’s Living Legacies’ which Sarah continues to assist with. Sarah is also leading on the delivery of another HLF funded project ‘The Blues and Browns of the Polden Hills’ with our partners in this part of Somerset. Thanks to the many funders and supporters who enable these projects to happen.
Sarah works closely with David Simcox of Habitat Designs Ltd who is the project manager for the Large Blue committee and plays a significant role in delivering these programmes of work. Spending many hours in the field each year monitoring the Large Blue and its habitat, and leading much of the work on reintroducing this species, David and Sarah have provided amazing insights into the fascinating world of the Large Blue and been at the forefront of its recent conservation success.
This award is given each year by the UK Butterflies to the individual(s) that are deemed to have made the most significant contribution to UK Butterflies' goal of "Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts"
Congratulations to both Sarah and David on receiving this very well deserved award.