ONE of the country’s leading butterfly experts will hike 100 miles of the Jurassic Coast in a bid to raise money to save some of the South West’s rarest butterflies.
Butterfly Conservation chief executive, Dr Martin Warren, recently named in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s top 50 wildlife power list, is walking the Jurassic Coast to help save three rare butterflies.
The Jurassic Coast, straddling Devon and Dorset, is a world heritage site rich in fossils, but it is also rich in butterflies and boasts some of our rarest species including the Wood White, Lulworth Skipper and Adonis Blue.
Dr Warren is raising funds to help protect the critically endangered High Brown Fritillary, found on Dartmoor, the Wood White, found on the undercliffs linking East Devon and West Dorset and the Duke of Burgundy, which is found on Dorset grasslands.
The hike coincides with the annual Big Butterfly Count, the world’s largest insect citizen science project and Dr Warren is aiming to complete a record 150 Counts during his seven-day walk.
Along the way Dr Warren will pass iconic coastal landmarks including the charismatic Cobb Harbour in Lyme Regis, Chesil Beach near Weymouth and the beautiful limestone arch at Durdle Door near Lulworth.
Dr Warren said: “The Jurassic coast is one of the most beautiful stretches of UK and is also one of the most important coastal sites for some of our rarest butterflies. Three quarters of the UK’s butterfly species have declined in the last ten years – they need our help.
“I’m walking back in time for butterflies to raise money to help protect three of the South West’s most threatened species, the Wood White, Duke of Burgundy and High Brown Fritillary. With your help, we can make a real difference for these precious butterflies.
“I’m also attempting to complete a record breaking 150 Big Butterfly Counts which will help reveal the amazing butterfly diversity of the Jurassic Coast.”
Dr Warren’s hike starts on Monday (27) at Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon and finishes on Sunday 2 August at Swanage in Dorset.
All funds raised will go towards Butterfly Conservation projects in Devon and Dorset to save remaining colonies of Wood White, Duke of Burgundy and High Brown Fritillary.
Follow Martin’s #ButterflyHike progress on twitter @martinswarren
You can sponsor Martin by visiting butterfly-conservation.org/hike
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