Nature lovers in Shropshire and Worcestershire will be able to discover some of the UK’s rarest and most beautiful butterflies following the launch of a new guidebook for Wyre Forest.
It has been produced by wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, thanks to funding from Natural England and will help enthusiasts identify the area’s key species. The leaflet includes information on the best places to spot them and at what time of year.
Butterfly Conservation’s Senior Regional Officer for the West Midlands, Dr Jenny Joy, said:
“We are delighted that Natural England has been able to support the publication of a new guide, which also marks the conclusion of our Reconnecting the Wyre project - the latest phase in improvements to butterfly habitats in the Forest undertaken by Butterfly Conservation and other partners, including Natural England and the Forestry Commission.
“Our first guide produced back in 2009 proved hugely popular and quickly sold out. I hope that the new leaflet will stimulate interest in butterflies in the Forest and encourage even more people to record them.”
Saul Herbert, Natural England’s Senior Reserve Manager for Wyre Forest said: “Natural England undertakes considerable habitat improvement work to benefit butterflies and moths. This work is informed by the extensive programme of annual surveys undertaken by Butterfly Conservation volunteers. We hope that the new leaflet will help Butterfly Conservation recruit and train a new generation of butterfly recorders.”
You can get your copy of the new guidebook at the Forestry Commission Visitor Centre and Cafe at Callow Hill in Kidderminster.
Wyre is one of the top sites nationally to see butterflies, with well over half of the UK’s 59 species found there. The National Nature Reserve is particularly important for its Fritillary butterflies, some of which are in serious decline in other parts of the country.
A three year project funded by the SITA Trust to reconnect the Wyre has successfully restored areas of coppice to provide habitat for the nationally scarce Pearl-bordered Fritillary butterfly. It has also improved connectivity across the Forest to increase the chances of butterflies and moths colonising new areas in the future.