Welcome to the East Midlands Branch of Butterfly Conservation.

We cover the counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Derbyshire including the Peak District.

Butterfly Conservation is a membership organisation and has people with all sorts of interests and levels of knowledge - those who like looking at butterflies and moths in their garden, those who are fascinated by their life cycle, some who are true experts and want to pass on their knowledge to others and people who feel passionately about wildlife conservation.

The East Midlands Branch welcomes new members with any or all of the above interests. If you would like to find out more about joining Butterfly Conservation please contact our Membership Secretary.


Dates of Grizzled Skipper conservation work and Chris's updates. HERE

The Status and Recorded History of Nottinghamshire’s Butterflies (1850-2023)

Published in February 2024 as a free, digital-only publication of 106 pages, and written and researched by Nottinghamshire Recorder Steve Mathers.

Available here as a pdf.

Purple Emperor - The Tale of a Discovery

Read the fascinating story of the finding and subsequent dedicated searches in Sherwood Forest for the Purple Emperor, by Nicholas Brownley

WCBS Recorders required for Nottinghamshire

The Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey was set up in 2009. A selection of random squares was computer generated in each county and a Recorder was asked to set up a route through the square to record butterflies & moths. The survey needs to be done on any day once a month in May, June, July and August. The East Midlands co-ordinator is Ken Orpe (Derbyshire butterfly Recorder). In Nottinghamshire the squares have proved extremely difficult, due mainly to their locations. We are looking for anyone who would be happy to record in the following places: Newark Town Centre (close to Castle Bridge), Mattersey, South Leverton, Papplewick and Shireoaks. Please contact Jane Broomhead if you are willing to help: malcsmonkeys@hotmail.com.

Sterling conservation work is being undertaken at Markham Vale in Derbys.
The Status and Recorded History of Nottinghamshire’s Butterflies (1850-2023)

Published in February 2024 as a free, digital-only publication of 106 pages, and written and researched by Nottinghamshire Recorder Steve Mathers.

Available here as a pdf.

Congratulations to our Grizzled/Dingy Skipper Officer, Mark Searle.

Mark has won a very well deserved first place in the The UK Butterflies 2023 Photography Competition for his amazing photograph of a Grizzled Skipper butterfly taken in Nottinghamshire.

NB Not the one above (taken by Christine Maughan).

Do you need help with Land Management for Butterflies and Moths?

Butterfly Conservation would like to hear from you if you manage or can influence the management of land. Butterfly Conservation is developing a land management advice and guidance hub and would appreciate your help via a short Survey.

READ MORE


2023 AGM & Members Day Minutes

And some previous ones can be found on the News & Posts page.

These contain much more than just the business of the AGM and have a wealth of information about the region's lepidoptera.

Download a beautifully illustrated booklet introducing moths and why they matter.
Notts Butterfly Review 2022 by Steve Mathers

80% of butterflies have declined across the UK
Our butterflies are disappearing

Seven years on from the last State of UK’s Butterflies report, the plight of insects has become a common concern. However, conserving “the little things that run the world” remains an enormous challenge.

The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2022 report has revealed the alarming news that 80% of butterflies in the UK have declined since the 1970s.

Rare Hornet Moth Colony found at BGS Keyworth
A colony of these rare clearwing moths has recently been discovered on site at the British Geological Survey headquarters in Keyworth, Notts.

READ MORE

And the Butterfly Conservation Volunteer Award 2023 goes to...

The award is for a volunteer who has given time to work with and involve their local community in the work that BC carries out.

Congratulations to Ken from all the East Midland members.

Clearwing and Forester Project

Melanie Penson has produced a detailed document on the results to date, with the methodology and objectives in her study of the status of these elusive moths.

Chequered Skippers can be seen in England for the first time in 45 years

Thanks to the expertise of Butterfly Conservation and international conservation experts, changes in land management techniques from Forestry England, and hard-working volunteers from Butterfly Conservation, the butterfly can be seen in England for the first time since 1976.

The Purple Emperor: An Idiosyncratic species with Dennis Dell

A talk delivered to the Yorkshire branch on 17th January 2022,


Imperial Invasion

Butterfly Conservation’s East Midlands branch (EMBC) has teamed up with South Derbyshire County Council (SDDC) to buy Willow trees that will help create the habitat preferred by the Purple Emperor butterfly and promote this spectacular species’ steady march northwards through our region into Derbyshire.

Read the account by Gary Atkins of the first stage of this exciting project.

The State of Britain's Larger Moths 2021

This report summarises current knowledge of the state of Britain’s c.900 species of larger moths, presenting analyses of long-term change based on millions of records gathered through the Rothamsted Insect Survey (RIS) and National Moth Recording Scheme (NMRS).


Dennis Dell on the spread of the Purple Emperor

Dennis Dell, our Purple Emperor champion (HIM), gives tips on how to find this iconic butterfly in an article originally written for the Yorkshire Branch.

Free Webinars!
Field Trips 2023

Join Us for a great day out at a wonderful, natural place near you.

The Field Trips Programme for 2023 has been finalised. Starting 21st May and running to 23rd July, these are great opportunities to see our scarcest butterflies and are ideal for photography. Spaces are limited.

BOOK NOW

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