Conservation

Let's Save the British Butterfly Together

The DFN Foundation is committed to ensuring the survival and re-introducing of some of the rarer species of the British Butterfly. For us, it’s not just about saving a few species from going extinct but keeping the equilibrium of our ecosystem in place.

Key Aims of DFN Foundation

  • Following research to provide targeted small-scale financial support to nature conservation groups within the southeast.
  • To consider the provision of targeted funding for school resource materials in support of conservation group work in schools.
  • To review the making of an annual grant to the new Butterfly Conservation Charity to help it establish its programmes.

How DFN Foundation Plans to Achieve its Vision

  • Working with others to raise awareness of the need to secure butterfly habitat and why it would be helpful for our environment and ecosystem.
  • Work with others to develop and implement a schools programme in order to raise awareness about British butterflies and the threats they face.
  • Supporting the development of butterfly conservation special interest groups to reinforce and encourage a collective effort to save the species.
  • Reinvigorate existing woodland and farmland through a variety of effective initiatives to halt the decline of some of our rarest species.
  • Raising awareness and encouraging local communities in the affected areas to work with landowners to revive these areas and support butterfly habitat.

Why The British Butterfly?

About four decades back, we lost the species of British Large Blue. Today, many other butterflies are under threat of going extinct due to human encroachment and a reducing habitat.

Butterflies and moths are recognised as indicators of biodiversity. Conserving butterflies will improve our whole environment for wildlife and enrich the lives of people now and in the future.

The Chequered Skipper Back in Britain

Another butterfly species, known as chequered skipper, went extinct in 1976 as a result of drastic changes to woodland management. Last year, some butterfly conservationists brought butterflies from Belgium, released them in Rockingham Forest and were successful in getting them to reproduce. We are confident to carry on this practice of re-introducing species in to the British countryside.

Backing the Big Butterfly Count

We are excited to be announced as an official co-sponsor of the Big Butterfly Count from 2020 to 2023. Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators.

The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies. Over 113,500 people took part in 2019, submitting 116,009 counts of butterflies and day-flying moths from across the UK.

We are very much looking forward to supporting the development of the Big Butterfly Count, and assisting them in identifying trends in species that will help us plan how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understand the effect of climate change on wildlife.

Find out more:www.bigbutterflycount.org