Butterfly Conservation - North East Branch

Butterfly Conservation is a registered charity dedicated
to the conservation of butterflies and moths.

Welcome to the web-site of the North East England branch of Butterfly Conservation. The aim of the site is to provide information about the butterflies and moths of Northumberland, Durham and north Teesside and about the activities of the branch.

The north east has a very diverse range of habitats including extensive areas of upland moorland, coastal dunes, farmland, broad-leafed and coniferous woodland as well as many interesting brown-field sites that reflect the industrial history of the area. These different habitats support a wide range of fauna and flora and about thirty species of butterfly and many species of moth may be seen within the region.

The North East England branch of Butterfly Conservation seeks to increase our knowledge of the region's butterflies and moths, to assist in their conservation and to encourage the study of these fascinating insects.

2011 Annual Butterfly Report! Over 16,000 records were submitted during 2011 and the report summarises these with an individual account for each of the species seen in the region during the year. Click here to download a copy (pdf file 2MB).

Spring 2012 Newsletter! Click here to download a copy of the Branch's latest Newsletter (pdf file 478 KB).

2011 update on the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey! The 2011 newsletter of the WCBS has been published by Butterfly Conservation, summarising results from third year of surveying across the UK. It can be accessed on-line by clicking here.

Where to watch woodland butterflies The Wildlife Trusts have recently produced a short guide to nature reserves that are great places to see woodland butterflies. The guide covers the whole of the UK and, as well as listing 3 reserves in our own region, could be used to plan that trip to go and see Purple Emperors or White Admirals.

Can you help?We are looking for keen individuals to help promote our activities and increase awareness of butterflies, moths and their habitats. 'North East England' covers the historic counties of Northumberland and Durham, i.e. the entire area between the rivers Tweed and Tees. It would be great, if possible, to have people working in both the north and south. If you have a little free time, and think you could help with the following, please contact us. It is not onerous being on the committee, and it can be good fun!

* Publicity and promotion: e.g. liaising with other organisations, the press and media;

Committee changes At the AGM on 18 February, Cliff Evans announced that he is standing down as the Branch Chairman. Cliff has held the position for seven years, having previously served as a member of the committee. In addition to his involvement with Butterfly Conservation Cliff has been an active and prominent member of the Wildlife Trust and other conservation organisations in Durham and we have benefitted greatly from his knowledge both of the wildlife of the region and the various networks involved in its conservation. We are extremely grateful to Cliff for his huge contribution to the Branch and wish him well for the future. The position of Branch Chairman is thus currently vacant and we would be interested to hear from anyone who feels that they may be prepared to pick up the baton from Cliff.

At the same meeting, Brian Denham, another stalwart of the Branch, announced that he too is resigning from the committee. We are delighted to report, however, that Brian has indicated his willingness to continue to coordinate two of the most important areas of the Branch's activity, namely Transects and the Butterflies of the Wider Countryside Survey.

Volunteers still needed for transects! Dave Liddle is looking for a couple of people to assist with the butterfly transects he organises at Wingate Quarry and at Tanfield Marsh to help cover staff holidays etc. Click here for more information. If you are interested in contributing to the collection of valuable census data please contact Dave for further details:

Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey! Butterfly Conservation has announced that the WCBS has received funding for a further three years. Click here for details of the survey and how to take part. A newsletter has been published giving an update on the survey so far which can downloaded from here.

New Moth Atlas! Butterfly Conservation has recently published a new atlas of the British distribution of over 800 macro moths. Click here for details of the atlas and how to order your copy.

Electronic Mailing List! Would you like to be notified of Branch events by e-mail? Butterfly Conservation members are invited to contact the Membership Secretary if they would like be added to an electronic mailing list. This should help to provide more timely notice of events such as field trips, work parties and meetings. This is entirely voluntary and will not affect existing methods of communication which will continue to be used.