Butterfly Conservation Kent Branch

saving butterflies, moths and their habitats

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Species Champions

Our butterflies need help - moths too

Champion is the title given to people who take a greater interest in a particular species than most recorders and are therefore the ones to speak to about the butterfly or moth. A champion idea and champion in deed.

The role is an essential conservation activity; we need more than just squares on a map to understand the species and what is happening to its populations. We also need records from the general countryside, not just the hot spots and well known reserves.

Why is it becoming so important?

Have you heard of the drive for improvements to Sites of Special Scientific Interest [SSSI] by 2010? It is being undertaken by Natural England due to an EU initiative, to stop the deterioration in the populations of rare species. A review by Butterfly Conservation showed that all was not well with the work as many species have been lost from SSSI's due to scrub removal and cutting hedges back to the fences.

There was also the recent review of Biodiversity Action Plan species which lead to a major increase in the number of lepidoptera being added to the list.

Planners, and other bodies involved with decisions about the use and management of land, need ever more detailed and better data on species to be able to undertake their work.

What is it all about?

The amount you can do is basically your choice and here is the range of things you can consider:

First decide the species or group then pick your favourite, one you have heard is in trouble, one we have suggested to ease identity issues.

Then think about the area or location. The area to cover is up to you, it can be the whole county, your locality or half way across Surrey and Kent to cover soil types and current ranges

Try to annually check the known locations and populations

Find new habitats and sites

Photograph the species for the newsletters and websites

Monitor the effectiveness of management activities, is it working?

Look up the historical records in books and understand the flow of where the species used to be

Learn to discover the early stages – become able to teach others too

See the full flight periods and different generations

Carry out timed counts to judge populations.

Data is available to guide and inform you

There is help and advice offered. Chat to Ken Willmott and Malcolm Bridge for Surrey and for Kent, Peter Kirby, Mike Easterbrook or Ian Ferguson, as detailed in the newsletters. You can also email them from the websites and, of course, you may contact David Gardner about butterflies and moths in both branches, particularly for cross border species of concern. Judging by other branches, the enjoyment and knowledge the champions gain is amazing and very rewarding for them too. Just develop your interest or become the person to ask.

Here are some of the aims for the future:

Discuss your species with champions from other branches; Butterfly Conservation head office is currently considering creating National Champions, to co-ordinate news and take the understanding and help given to a species to another level.

Conduct annual gatherings to discuss what is happening and what is new. Join inter-species discussion round the table at the conservation days. By 2010, we hope to have champions established and data to exchange.

Overlay weather reports to establish any particular links with the success or failure of a species.

You can restrict your area to just where you live, for example the Ashford area and compare notes with the old book on local lepidoptera!

Below are the species we need champions for:

Kent - Butterflies