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.

Gateshead Countryside Management Team under threat! Gateshead Council is considering proposals to close down the team as part of its cost saving measures. The team is responsible for looking after a number of wildlife sites that are locally important for wildlife including butterflies and moths and, depending on what alternative arrangements are made, there is concern that these sites may begin to suffer from neglect as a consequence. An e-petition has been started to oppose this move which can be found by clicking here on the consultation section of Gateshead Council's web-site.

Volunteers wanted 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. If you are interested in contributing to the collection of valuable census data please contact Dave for further details:

Annual General Meeting The Branch's Annual General Meeting will take place at 2 pm on Saturday 18 February 2012 at the Durham Wildlife Trust offices at Rainton Meadows. The meeting will be followed by a talk from Butterfly Conservation's Director for Scotland, Paul Kirkland. All members are welcome to attend and we hope there will be a good turnout. Click here for further details.

Autumn Newsletter! Click here to download a copy of the Branch's latest Newsletter(pdf file 1.4 MB). An appendix table for Hewett Ellis' article in the Newsletter can be downloaded here.

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.

2010 Annual Butterfly Report! The report summarises butterfly records submitted during 2010 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).

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.