Location of re-introduced Chequered Skipper butterfly revealed - Butterfly Conservation
For the first time since 1976, wildlife enthusiasts will be able to see the rare and beautiful Chequered Skipper butterfly in the wild in England this summer.
Thanks to the expertise of Butterfly Conservation, changes in land management techniques from Forestry England, and hard-working volunteers from Butterfly Conservation, the butterfly which was previously extinct in England has been successfully breeding in a Northamptonshire forest. The population is now stable enough for members of the public wanting to glimpse the exciting butterfly to be able to visit.
The exact location of the butterflies has previously been a closely guarded secret, but Butterfly Conservation are now pleased to be able to reveal that Forestry England's Fineshade Wood in Northamptonshire is the site of the reintroduced species.
Director of Conservation for Butterfly Conservation, Dr Dan Hoare, explains: "We have had to keep the exact location of these butterflies secret for the first few years following their introduction to allow them time to become more sustained and resilient. While our work to secure the future of this population of Chequered Skipper continues, we are delighted to be able to reveal their location so that butterfly enthusiasts can come and enjoy spotting them in the wild in England for the first time in more than 40 years."
The reintroduction of the Chequered Skipper to England was part of the ambitious conservation project Back from the Brink. Butterflies were collected in Belgium in 2018 and 2019 and released at the Northamptonshire site by experts from Butterfly Conservation, working in partnership with Forestry England who had carried out preparations to the site in order to help provide favourable habitats.
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Posted On: 27/01/2022