{"id":397,"date":"2009-03-10T15:54:01","date_gmt":"2009-03-10T14:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.naturearoundme.com\/contents1a\/?p=397"},"modified":"2009-03-10T15:57:20","modified_gmt":"2009-03-10T14:57:20","slug":"grant-for-butterfly-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturearoundme.com\/contents1a\/2009\/03\/grant-for-butterfly-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"Grant for butterfly scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"

Britain\u2019s most threatened butterfly is being offered a helping hand to recovery in the Morecambe Bay and South Cumbria area, thanks to a grant boost from the Forestry Commission\u2019s English Woodland Grant Scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"High<\/a>
High Brown Fritillary butterfly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Morecambe Bay limestone area<\/a> and the South Cumbria low fells are the last national stronghold for the High Brown Fritillary butterfly<\/a> and the single most important area for butterflies in northern England.<\/p>\n

However, due to a decline in coppicing<\/a> and woodland management and changes in agriculture, the High Brown Fritillary population has declined by almost 80% over the past 35 years.<\/p>\n

To help reverse the population decline, the Forestry Commission has awarded Woodland Improvement Grants (WIG) to a number of local land owners and managers, including the National Trust<\/a>, who owns the land at Eaves Wood<\/a> and Arnside Knott, near Silverdale. \u00a0The money will now be used to carry out a programme of habitat restoration on grasslands and woodland coppicing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0James Bickley, Woodland Officer for the Forestry Commission in North West England, said:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe Morecambe Bay Limestones and South Cumbria area is the last remaining stronghold of the High Brown Fritillary in Britain. \u00a0Even here the numbers have been falling and the remaining butterflies are in increasing isolated pockets of woodland.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe Forestry Commission\u2019s Woodland Improvement Grant will fund practical conservation work to help maintain and hopefully increase numbers of the species in the area for future generations to enjoy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Butterflies, like the High Brown Fritillary, live in woodland clearings where trees have recently been cut down or coppiced, to then grow up again in a sustainable and natural cycle. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Such rich and diverse habitat includes areas of growing trees, deadwood, grass, bracken and open scrub giving great value to wildlife. \u00a0However, woodland practices such as coppicing and thinning have declined, and many woodland areas have become increasingly shady and overgrown.<\/p>\n

\u00a0To improve the habitat for these threatened butterflies and encourage recolonisation in the Morecambe Bay Limestones, the National Trust will be using the WIG funding to create glades and help develop the local coppice industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The National Trust\u2019s Alan Ferguson, says:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThis grant is an exciting boost to The National Trust\u2019s Morecambe Bay Properties twin aims to sustainably manage land for access and wildlife. By returning previously worked coppice blocks back to production there is a gain for the landscape, wildlife and future employment in a declined industry. The cyclical production and sale of local produce to a local market has to make sense.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0Coppicing and thinning helps to maintain the perfect habitat for the marsh violet<\/a>, which is the main food source for both caterpillars and adult butterflies. \u00a0The technique is also valuable for nesting birds and the wood collected may be used for producing charcoal.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Another key aim of this work is for the National Trust and the local coppice industry to work together and develop woodland management and coppice systems that produce more commercially useable timber and other woodland products.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0It is hoped that the project will help to develop new markets for local woodland products, such as wattle hurdles and charcoal, which can directly lead to local employment opportunities, a sustainable future woodland management and directly benefit biodiversity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0The National Trust land is within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is home to over half of the British flowering plant species and many of the rarest insects.<\/p>\n

\u00a0In the summer, the area comes alive with special limestone-loving flowers, which attract the butterflies to feed and lay their eggs.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The area supports significant populations of several other threatened species of butterfly, including the Dingy Skipper, Northern Brown Argus, Duke of Burgundy, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Grayling.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Other organisations involved with conserving the High Brown Fritillary on the Morecambe Bay Limestones include<\/p>\n