Malvern Hills Lost Fritillaries Project hit its fundraising target!1 year ago
Brilliant news, thanks everyone!
Malvern Hills Lost Fritillaries Project
Funded on Spacehive 29 July 2021
Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
Malvern Hills Lost Fritillaries Project
By West Midlands Butterfly Conservation
To reintroduce an endangered butterfly called the Pearl-bordered Fritillary back on to the Malvern Hills, to improve the habitat for wildlife and to increase biodiversity.
28
backers
£13,520
raised
This project was funded on 29 Jul 2021!
This rare and attractive butterfly was once common on the Malvern Hills but disappeared at the end of the twentieth century. West Midlands Butterfly Conservation plans to reintroduce this butterfly on three local sites with improved habitat management. This involves three different landowners and many volunteers from the local community assisted by expert advice from Butterfly Conservation. Funding is needed to survey sites, modify habitat management and support a local breeding programme. Already, volunteers are growing hundreds of dog violets to feed the caterpillars that hibernate over winter and re-emerge the following spring ready to pupate and turn into adult butterflies that are transferred onto our local sites. "If we and the rest of the back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear, the world's ecosystems would collapse” David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation
What we'll deliver:
- improved habitat for local wildlife
- increased biodiversity
- public access to view this attractive spring butterfly
- stunning wildlife landscapes on the east and west sides of the Malvern Hills
- a long lasting environmental legacy for future generations
Why it's a great idea:
Butterfly Conservation is a national charity dedicated to the conservation of butterflies and moths which are important indicators of the health of our environment. The West Midlands branch has devised this project because we want to contribute to the UK’s ‘nature recovery’ in our local area; an area of outstanding natural beauty and biodiversity importance and cherished by many. Increasing numbers of volunteers want to help with this project. Visitors and the local community can benefit because "Spending time with nature offers us all precious breathing space away from the stresses and strains of modern life, it enables us to experience joy and wonder, to slow down and to appreciate the wildlife that lives side-by-side with us.” David Attenborough Guided walks will provide a much greater understanding of the life cycle of this protected species, its habitat requirements and the benefits it brings to the environment.
Steps to get it done:
- 2021-May-start captive larval breeding programme
- 2021-Autumn-survey habitat all receptor & donor sites and modify habitat management on receptor sites
- 2022-April-reintroduce 5th instar larvae and adult butterflies on to at least one of three receptor sites
- 2022-May-repeat captive larval breeding programme
- 2022-Autumn-repeat survey of all receptor sites and modified habitat management
- 2023-2025-further captive larval breeding and reintroduction on 2-3 receptor sites
- 2023-2025-monitoring population, surveying sites and modified habitat management
- 2023-2025-guided walks around receptor sites
- 2025-increase and link PBF sites in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Gloucestershire
There will be some flexibility within the project timetable; the timing / scheduling of activities may be subject to change, though all activities will be accomplished by the end of 2025.
Gallery
Location Hollybush
About the space
The South Malvern Hills is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is part of the 14km spine that runs north-south and straddles the Worcestershire and Herefordshire border with 22 individual summits - between Worcestershire Beacon 425m in the north and Chase End Hill 191m in the south. The high hills are
Council
Worcestershire County Council
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Journey
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Anonymous pledged £3,3741 year ago
We're Overfunding!
24 Pledges worth £6201 year ago
Read all about it... in the Malvern Gazette1 year ago
An invitation to visit the Malvern PBF sites...1 year ago
This is an opportunity to learn more and ask questions about the reintroduction of PBF on to the Malverns. Please send an email to mbg.records@btinternet.com if you would like to join me to visit the receptor sites on one or both on the following dates: 11:00-Thu-01-July: Chase End Hill Car Park – also Eastnor if time allows 11:00-Sat-03-July: Swinyard Hill Car park to visit Eastnor & Swinyard Hill
Second instar caterpillar1 year ago
The next stage....1 year ago
PRESS RELEASE - Rare Butterfly Returning to the Malvern Hills1 year ago
West Midlands Butterfly Conservation is planning to reintroduce an endangered butterfly called Pearl-bordered Fritillary on to the Malvern Hills 25 years after it became locally extinct. Landowners on three different sites are supporting this project by modifying their habitat management to increase biodiversity and improve the local environment. All sites are open to the public and guided walks are planned to help the local community understand much more about the behaviour of this rare species and how the habitat is managed to ensure it stays in the long term. Mel Mason, Vice-chair of WMBC explains, “This challenging project is an important milestone in reversing the decline of local wildlife species over recent decades. Already, volunteers are growing hundreds of dog violets to feed the caterpillars in our captive breeding programme ready to release on to selected sites. This is one of our most attractive spring butterflies seen as early as April and May. However, funding is needed to survey sites and support a local breeding programme over the next four years. We have raised £9,876 in pledges from the local community, but we need to reach our target of £13,526 to secure these pledges before the end of July.” To find out more about this exciting project and how you can help bring back the second most at risk butterfly species in the UK go to: www.spacehive.com/malvern-hills-lost-fritillaries-project
How will the money be spent?Total £13,464
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
56%
survey of receptor & donor sites
£7,500
22%
breeding materials and violet growing materials
£3,000
9%
Contingency fund
£1,200
7%
Education, publicity & community involvement
£1,000
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £13,464
Our Volunteer List
We're currently looking for people to offer skills and time to develop our project! Check out the list of what we need below and then use the 'Volunteer' button to the right to get involved.
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VolunteerAbout the Project Creator
My name is Mel Mason. I am a volunteer and Vice-chair of West Midlands Butterfly Conservation, the largest branch of Butterfly Conservation, a British charity devoted to saving butterflies, moths and their habitats throughout the UK. I am leading a project to reintroduce a rare and endangered butterfly called Pearl-bordered Fritillary back on to three of its former strongholds before it became locally extinct at the end of last century. In spring, we plan to collect female butterflies from succesful sites in nearby counties and allow them to lay eggs in netted pots of violets. Many volunteers are already growing hundreds of violets to feed the caterpillars during the summer, then allow the caterpillars to hibernate before they resume eating the following spring, pupate and emerge as adult butterflies to release on selected sites around the Malvern Hills. This is called captive larval breeding and must be repeated for several years to build up a viable population that can sustain itself in the future. Much more is now understood than in the past about managing the habitat. Landowners are planning to modify their habitat management on bracken landscapes in preparation for this reintroduction.
Project Owner: West Midlands Butterfly Conservation The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
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