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Attenborough backs Leicestershire butterfly enthusiasts

Posted on 17/07/2008

Red Admiral Butterfly

Sir David Attenborough, President of Butterfly Conservation, will be launching Save Our Butterflies Week, which starts on July 19. He will be unveiling a pioneering national strategy to halt the alarming decline of butterflies.

The new strategy builds on knowledge gained over the 40 years since Butterfly Conservation was founded in 1968.

Leicestershire is home to some of the rarest butterflies in the country, including the Grizzled Skipper, which has declined by 42% nationally in the last 10 years. Members of the East Midlands Branch of Butterfly Conservation already work tirelessly to protect the Grizzled Skipper and other endangered species.

Branch Organiser Bill Bacon said: ”There are many areas of Leicestershire that retain fascinating butterfly colonies. He said: “The aim is to raise awareness of the massive declines in butterfly numbers and to appreciate those butterflies we still have.”

He added: “It’s not just here in Leicestershire that butterflies are vanishing, it’s right across Europe. Butterfly habitat has been destroyed by changes in farming and forestry practices.”

During Save Our Butterflies Week, the Branch will be organising a series of events throughout the region including a walk at Tadington, Derbyshire

A full list of events is available at the branch website http://www.eastmidlands-butterflies.org.uk