{"id":90586,"date":"2025-04-13T16:58:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T15:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/?p=90586"},"modified":"2025-04-13T18:33:08","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T17:33:08","slug":"britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now","title":{"rendered":"Britain\u2019s Butterfly Crisis: Saving Butterflies Now"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Last summer was the second worst on record for common butterflies in the UK. If even the most familiar species are vanishing,&nbsp;what will it take to bring them back?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"564\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"564\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90587\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-770x434.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/1-3-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rob Parry, chief executive of the Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru, has worked in nature conservation for 24 years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Summer in Cardiff is supposed to be colorful. The butterflies should fly freely from flower to flower in the sunshine. But search Cardiff&#8217;s parks for half an hour and not even one of the most common white butterflies will be seen. All kinds of flowers are blooming, but the butterflies are gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a report published by Butterfly Conservation, the summer of 2023 was the second lowest for the number of common butterflies in the UK since 1976. For many nature lovers, it was a heartbreaking sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt is not surprising,&#8221; said Rob Parry, the chief executive of the Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru. \u201cInsects, invertebrates in general in Wales have been struggling for a long time. The problem is that these \u2018bad years\u2019 are becoming more frequent- butterflies don\u2019t have time to recover\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rob is chief of the Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC), a young, seven-year-old charity focused on conservation advocacy, policy drive and field species conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The summer of 2023, which should have been a critical time for butterflies to thrive, was unusually cold and wet, Rob explained. \u201cEven just being outside, you could see there were fewer butterflies and invertebrates. The worst part is that these bad years are becoming more frequent, and species don&#8217;t have a chance to recover,\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"565\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3.jpg 999w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-770x435.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-293x166.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"565\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90588\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3.jpg 999w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-770x435.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Orange-Tip3-293x166.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A  Orange-tip butterfly feeding on nectar. It is one of the few common species still seen in early spring.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He points out that nature allows for an occasional \u201cbad year\u201d, and species can recover in subsequent years. \u201cA bad year now and then is okay in nature \u2013 they can usually recover. But with climate change and bad land management, they don\u2019t get enough time. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;re seeing long-term declines.\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Butterflies are not just beautiful insects; they play several important roles in nature. They help plants pollinate; Their larvae are food for many birds; Most importantly, butterflies are very sensitive to environmental changes. If these conditions deteriorate, butterflies will be the first to be affected. So, when butterfly numbers decline, it&#8217;s often a sign that something is wrong with our natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rob has been working in nature conservation for 24 years. His team at INCC focuses on habitat conservation and restoration. They not only advocate but also create and restore habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of their most important projects is to protect the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly, an extremely rare butterfly in Wales and across Europe. The butterflies are extremely demanding, they can only live in wet grass, and the larvae can only feed on a plant called &#8220;Devil&#8217;s bit Scabious&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTo save the population in South Wales, we collected caterpillars from the wild, reared them in captivity, and released them back,\u201d said Rob. The project has now been running for four years in an area called Plynlimon Common in south Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s working, but that\u2019s really the last resort. We need to get the habitat right first. That\u2019s the crucial bit,\u201d said Rob. Rob explains that to truly protect butterflies, the problem of where they live and where they live must be solved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1001\" height=\"563\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2.jpg 1001w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1001\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2.jpg 1001w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-770x433.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2-293x165.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px\" \/><\/noscript><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Marsh Fritillary butterfly rests on flower. This rare species is the focus of a conservation project in South Wales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people may think that one park is enough, but for butterflies, it is not enough. The life of a butterfly is divided into four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult, and each stage has different requirements for the environment. For example, the larvae of many butterflies can only eat one or two specific plants, and they cannot survive without that plant in the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And the environment changes: lawns get mowed, plants die, the climate cools&#8230; If butterflies cannot fly to the next suitable place, their populations may be disrupted. \u201cWe\u2019re running out of good quality habitat,\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s more, most butterflies have a limited flight range of no more than a few hundred meters, so a coherent habitat is very important for them. \u201cWe\u2019re stopping that through developments, roads, and farming. The remaining habitats are fragmented, just isolated patches. We need to connect them and create more space for wildlife,\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What can ordinary people do for butterflies? \u201cThe best thing people across Wales can do is tell your local authority and your members of the Senedd that you really love wildlife and care about it,\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to speaking out, people can help butterflies by supporting conservation organizations, volunteering, or even planting flowers in their own gardens. \u201cIf we only ever complain to them about lack of jobs or other issues, then they never hear from people who actually care about nature.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the unprecedented challenges the butterflies are facing, Rob has not given up hope. \u201cHopefully this year will be better. We just need a bit more sunshine in the summer months,\u201d said Rob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"2000\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90591\" style=\"width:656px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-614x1536.jpg 614w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90591\" style=\"width:656px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic.jpg 800w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-120x300.jpg 120w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-770x1925.jpg 770w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-614x1536.jpg 614w, https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Beige-Organic-Star-Life-Cycle-Astronomy-Infographic-293x733.jpg 293w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last summer was the second worst on record for common butterflies in the UK. If even the most familiar species are vanishing,\u00a0what will it take to bring them back?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1241,"featured_media":90589,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[1351,1366,1010],"coauthors":[1305],"class_list":["post-90586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-science-environment","tag-cardiff","tag-environment","tag-wales"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Britain\u2019s Butterfly Crisis: Saving Butterflies Now - InterCardiff<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Britain\u2019s Butterfly Crisis: Saving Butterflies Now - InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Last summer was the second worst on record for common butterflies in the UK. If even the most familiar species are vanishing,\u00a0what will it take to bring them back?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"InterCardiff\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=61566337777596&amp;mibextid=LQQJ4d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-04-13T15:58:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-13T17:33:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/04\/Marsh-Fritillary2.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1001\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"563\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Yu Qiu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Yu Qiu\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/intercardiff\/science-environment\/britains-butterfly-crisis-saving-butterflies-now\",\"name\":\"Britain\u2019s Butterfly Crisis: Saving Butterflies Now - 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