A Hampshire wildlife reserve which once formed part of a WW1 army camp is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer.
Butterfly Conservation’s Magdalen Hill Down reserve near Winchester is nationally recognised for the many butterfly species it supports – with more than 10,000 seen every year.
Members of the public are being invited to celebrate the milestone by attending a ‘Big Butterfly Count Family Day’ at Magdalen Hill Down on Sunday 19 July.
Clive Wood, Vice Chairman and Events Organiser for Butterfly Conservation’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch, said: “This really is a big milestone for the reserve and celebrates all the hard work put in over the years by the many Branch volunteers and Butterfly Conservation staff. We would love for people living in and around the area to show their support for this beautiful place and all the wildlife it supports.
“We’re asking families to visit Magdalen Hill Down on Sunday 19 July between 10.30 and 14.30 where free guided butterfly walks, face-painting, badge-making and many other activities will be taking place. A painting competition is also being run for the children, where they’re asked to create artwork that celebrates the butterflies and moths of the reserve, with some great prizes on offer for the winners.”
Anyone wishing to attend can find out more information HERE.
Magdalen Hill Down is well known for its abundance of Small Blue and Chalk Hill Blue butterflies. Last year the site recorded the second highest count of Small Blue butterflies in the UK and more than a thousand Chalk Hill Blue butterflies have been counted on a single, one-hour walk.
The site has been managed and restored by Butterfly Conservation’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Branch since 1990 and in that time it has been extended from 23 acres to 120 acres.
Butterfly Conservation’s Reserves Officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, Jayne Chapman, said: “Magdalen Hill Down is a fine example of remnant chalk downland, where over 60% of the UK's butterflies can be seen. For the last four years I have been working alongside a team of volunteers to maintain this important habitat for the butterfly and moth species that are found here. The site has an extensive history, and is ever changing. We are therefore looking forward to what the future holds for other species of butterfly that are yet to colonise this flagship reserve.”
If you are interested in volunteering for Butterfly Conservation at Magdalen Hill Down, please contact Jayne Chapman by emailing: @email