Volunteers needed for butterfly survey
Posted on 11 April 2011
Postgraduate researcher Kevin Rich from the University of York is carrying out a survey at Fitzwilliam and Upton Country Parks near Hemsworth and is looking for people to help him count and identify butterflies.
The volunteers will be playing a crucial role in monitoring our native butterfly populations
Kevin Rich
The survey at the two former colliery sites is on behalf of Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) which encourages people to get back in touch with nature. No previous experience is necessary as full training and a colour butterfly identification guide are provided. The survey takes between half an hour and an hour.
Some species of butterflies in Britain are in serious decline with habitat loss and climate change the most likely causes. Kevin Rich, who is based in the University’s Stockholm Environment Institute, is particularly interested in sightings of the Small Heath butterfly.
He said: “The number of Small Heath butterflies has declined by 52 per cent in the last 30 years and it is now a Biodiversity Action Plan Species for research purposes. Last year we observed a good number of these butterflies at Fitzwilliam Country Park. We are keen to monitor their numbers this year and to identify which areas of the park the butterfly prefers to inhabit.”
The OPAL researcher is also comparing reclaimed and unclaimed areas at Upton Country Park, identifying which species of butterflies and bumblebees are attracted to the different habitats.
Kevin Rich said: “We would like to get as many volunteers involved in the butterfly survey as possible, especially people who are able to spare up to an hour on a regular basis, perhaps weekly or fortnightly. The volunteers will be playing a crucial role in monitoring our native butterfly populations.”
Records of sightings are sent to the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, part of Butterfly Conservation that works to conserve and monitor butterfly populations in the UK.
OPAL is a five-year programme, led by Imperial College London, with 15 partners, including universities and other institutions across England. Supported by The Big Lottery Fund, it is bringing scientists and the public closer together to explore environmental issues that have both local and global relevance.
The Stockholm Environment Institute, part of the Environment Department at the University of York, runs OPAL projects with communities across Yorkshire and the Humber.
To get involved in the Wakefield butterfly survey, email opalproject@york.ac.uk or phone 01904 434577.
Notes to editors:
- The Small Heath is an inconspicuous butterfly that flies only in sunshine and rarely settles more than a metre above the ground. Its wings are always kept closed when at rest. It is yellow-orange and the underside of the forewing has an eyespot at the tip. The hindwing is banded with brown, grey and cream. A chart detailing the decline of the UK Small Heath Population is available courtesy of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme at www.ukbms.org/SpeciesFactsheets.aspx?speciesId=29
- Fitzwilliam Country Park is on the site of the former Hemsworth Colliery. For more information visit www.experiencewakefield.co.uk/attractions/thedms.aspx?dms=13&venue=2191310
- Upton Country Park is a former colliery site which is now mainly open grassland with several ponds and an area of woodland. For further information visit www.experiencewakefield.co.uk/attractions/thedms.aspx?dms=13&venue=2191299
- Open Air Laboratories (OPAL), led by Imperial College London, (www.imperial.ac.uk), is a nationwide partnership initiative that inspires communities to discover, enjoy and protect their local environments. It aims to create a new generation of nature-lovers by stimulating interest through local and national projects which are accessible, fun and relevant to anyone who wants to take part. For more information, please visit www.OPALexplorenature.org.
- The Big Lottery Fund, the largest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, has been providing grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006. Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk.
- The Big Lottery Fund’s Changing Spaces programme was launched in November 2005 to help communities enjoy and improve their local environments. The programme funds a range of activities from local food schemes and farmers markets, to education projects teaching people about the environment. Imperial College London was awarded a £11,760,783 Changing Spaces grant for OPAL in August 2007.
- More information on the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York is available at www.york.ac.uk/sei.
Contact details
Keep up to date
Subscribe to news feeds
