Volunteers hope to see butterflies return to Steyning

BUTTERFLY conservationists are buzzing after the first year of the Steyning Dukes and Downland Project.
By The Newsroom
Published 4th Feb 2016, 11:33 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 06:45 BST

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

Steyning Grammar School teacher Cecily Tidley's presentationSteyning Grammar School teacher Cecily Tidley's presentation
Steyning Grammar School teacher Cecily Tidley's presentation

More than 40 people gathered in the Saxon Room at the Steyning Centre on Friday to hear the latest news on the project, which plans to restore the South Downs around Steyning as a haven for butterflies.

Richard Goring, whose family set up the Steyning Downland Scheme, gave a warm welcome before a number of presentations explaining this year’s work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Heritage Lottery Fund granted £28,000 for the project in a bid to encourage dainty Duke of Burgundy butterflies back to the chalk grasslands.

Naturalist and butterfly expert Neil Hulme speaks on the Steyning Dukes ProjectNaturalist and butterfly expert Neil Hulme speaks on the Steyning Dukes Project
Naturalist and butterfly expert Neil Hulme speaks on the Steyning Dukes Project

Sarah Quantrill, project co-ordinator, said volunteers had cleared invading scrub to encourage wild flowers to grow.

Tens of thousands of cowslip and primrose seeds had already been collected and 25 people have volunteered to grow on hundreds of seedlings, which will be planted on the downs this autumn. These are the food plants for the rare Duke of Burgundy, which experts believe can be brought back to Steyning after going extinct in the area decades ago.

Steyning Grammar School teacher Cecily Tidley said her students had monitored butterflies and one day had seen more than 250 butterflies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Neil Hulme, naturalist and butterfly expert, has been working with the two-year project, having already been successful in seeing the Duke of Burgundy species return to Chantry Hill, about 15km west of the Steyning Downland Scheme.

Duke of Burgundy butterflies mating on the Steyning Downland Scheme. Picture: Neil Hulme (c) Neil HulmeDuke of Burgundy butterflies mating on the Steyning Downland Scheme. Picture: Neil Hulme (c) Neil Hulme
Duke of Burgundy butterflies mating on the Steyning Downland Scheme. Picture: Neil Hulme (c) Neil Hulme

He reported a total of 4,298 butterflies had been seen on the land during 2015, including the rare Adonis Blue and Silver Spotted Skipper.

The Dukes project is a partnership between the Steyning Downland Scheme, the South Downs National Park Authority, Butterfly Conservation and Wakehurst Place, Kew.

To find out more or to get involved, email [email protected] for more information.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1 Make our website your homepage at www.shorehamherald.co.uk

2 Like our Facebook page at Shoreham Herald Facebook

3 Follow us on Twitter @Shoreham_Herald

4 Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

The Shoreham Herald - always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics:VolunteersSouth DownsTens of thousands