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 2023/24
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
Big Butterfly Count 2023. Results Are In!
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.
2022 AGM & Members Day Minutes
Held on 20th November 2022
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.
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,
Conservation Work at Markham Vale
Volunteers Mark Radford and Sid Morris have been busy at Markham Vale North Tip, Derbyshire, controlling gorse encroaching onto the transect zones where Dingy Skipper, Common Blue and Small Heath were in danger of losing habitat.
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.