Site of the Week
Butterfly Conservation http://www.butterfly-conservation.org
Butterfly Conservation is a UK organisation ‘dedicated to saving wild butterflies, moths and their habitats’, and their website is packed with everything the keen lepidopterophile could ever desire.
The Introduction to Butterfly Conservation section outlines the story behind the decline of many butterfly and moth species in the UK, and the work being done by the organisation to help reverse the trend. There are sections going into greater depth on specific conservation and research efforts - for example, studies which have found that by implementing certain sequences of grazing on grassland, butterfly-friendly plant species can be encouraged, in turn giving butterflies like the silver-spotted skipper a helping hand.
You’re also free to expand your natural history knowledge with the species guides section, which allows you to browse and read about everything from butterfly identification to moth mythology. Having topped-up your ID skills, you can test your knowledge in the quiz section, which presents you with mystery species to name. As well as all the reading material, there’s some great photography, in the form of the results of the 1999 UK Butterfly Photographer of the Year competition. And if all this isn’t enough, you’ll also find a large collection of butterfly and moth-related links to explore at your leisure.
Richard Northover
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