On the ninth day of Christmas…
December 21, 2015
On the ninth day of the South Downs National Park Christmas, not nine dancing ladies, instead we’re giving you something to dance about.
Recent findings from the 2015 State of Butterflies report have revealed that, while many resident and migrant butterflies are in trouble, intensive conservation efforts have started to turn around the fortunes of some of the UK’s most endangered butterflies.
This includes the Duke of Burgundy butterfly that’s returned from the brink of local extinction thanks to work by our rangers, volunteers and partners on the South Downs Way Ahead Nature Improvement Area.
The project has restored large areas of chalk grassland which the Duke of Burgundy, and many other butterflies, depend on.
However, there is always more work to be done. The pearl bordered fritillary currently faces extinction and Butterfly Conservation have launched a three year project called Fritillaries for the Future with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
None of this work would be possible without the help of the amazing volunteers that dedicate their time to these projects.