Sunday Telegraph Article

[Charles Nicol]

There is an article in today's Sunday Telegraph (page 18) about David Attenborough's support for Butterfly World , a £25 million project which would be "the world's largest walk-through butterfly enclosure".

The illustration shows b/w photos of High Brown Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Wood White, Duke of Burgundy & White Letter Hairstreak

I am not sure if the enclosure is for British Butterflies.

Charles

[Matsukaze]

If it's the project near St Albans, there is a website here

http://www.butterfly-world.org/

This will contain a large dome for tropical butterflies and areas of wildflower meadows/downland for native species.

[Charles Nicol]

thanks Matsukaze... that looks like it

charles

[alex mclennan]

I've just watched Clive Farrell and David Bellamy being interviewed about this project on GMTV. Bellamy was extremely enthusiastic about it but I must say that it seems to be an enormous and very ambitious project.
Alex

[Charles Nicol]

Maybe an enormous & ambitious project will grab the attention of the public... many of whom have attention spans shorter than those of butterflies.

charles

[Pete Eeles]

The press release was sent to me today - I've posted it here:

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/reports_ ... _world.php

My conclusion is that this initiative will definitely raise awareness, and some funds will be going directly towards research and conservation. All in all - sounds very ambitious, and a very worthy project!

Cheers,

- Pete

[Roger Gibbons]

I seem to recall the architect was honoured by BC at last November's AGM. I guess they should know best whether he is a serious conservationist or a commercial cowboy. This was on the BC site:

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/a ... _m25_.html

[Charles Nicol]

today's Times has a rather longer article on the same subject... this time with colour illustrations of butterflies & a morpho moth

charles

[Martin]

Well I, for one, will be winging my way over there as soon as it opens (sooner if Pete can wangle a preview visit for UKB members )

Martin.

[Matsukaze]

A similar article in the Guardian today - including a photo gallery with a few photos from a certain Peter Eeles...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... =332951897

[Roger Gibbons]

In this Guardian article, #5 in the thumbnail series doesn't look much like a grizzled skipper (pyrgus malvae) to me. If I had to guess (always unwise where pyrgus are concerned) I'd go for olive skipper (P. serratulae) which of course does not occur in the UK.

Over to you, Guy.

[Hamearis]

An interesting series of pictures and descriptions there.
Three, I note, from a certain Mr. EEles.
Why on earth did they have to use a set specimen for the White-letter Hairstreak?

Hamearis

[Matsukaze]

Hi Roger,

Your post begs a question - if another species of Pyrgus were to colonise the UK, how long would it be before anyone would notice?