20th July 2010

Butterflies Need Friends

Can you spare some time to help us look
after the butterflies in the Blackwater Valley?  They come in a wonderful variety of colours and sizes, but could you tell the difference between a Peacock and a Tortoiseshell? Or
a Marbled White from a Green-veined White? Blackwater Valley Countryside is currently looking for people who would like to develop
their butterfly – and moth - identification
skills by becoming recorders to survey selected sites in the Valley area. The information these surveys provide will then reveal the overall health of the butterfly population in the Valley.

Butterflies are very sensitive to environmental change, which makes them an excellent indicator of the health of our countryside. Protecting butterflies means creating a healthier environment for everyone, but conservation work must be targeted where the need is greatest. So it is essential that we find out about our butterfly populations
to gauge the health of our local countryside.

Full training will be given by Butterfly Conservation, which involves a two-hour session on Wednesday 25th August at
Bentley Meadows in Hampshire. This includes how to survey a given area and will involve hints and advice on how to distinguish different butterfly species, with ID charts
and guides given out. Anyone signing up for the free course must be willing to commit to surveying an allocated Blackwater Valley site next year from April through to September; ideally these surveys will be conducted weekly, but with a minimum of two a month. There are over 14 different sites in the Valley available for surveying, from Farnham to Sandhurst, and if enough people volunteer  two volunteers will be allocated to each site.

Places on the training course are limited, so
if you’re interested in becoming a butterfly surveyor and would like to find out more please ring Blackwater Valley Countryside
on 01252 331353, email us or write to: Blackwater Valley Countryside (Butterflies), Ash Lock Cottage, Government Road, Aldershot GU11 2PS.

END

For further information contact:
Christine Reeves, Visitor Promotions Officer on 01252 331353.
Blackwater Valley Countryside Partnership, Ash Lock Cottage, Government Road, Aldershot GU11 2PS.