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WildVolunteering : Sturgess Field Butterfly Survey 2012/2013. Sofia Dente. Sturgess Fields. Latitude: 52.93159423 Longitude: - 1.4960289 In 1930 the A38 was built at the Derby ring road The area where the Sturgess School once occupied is now owned by the University of Derby
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WildVolunteering: Sturgess Field Butterfly Survey 2012/2013 Sofia Dente
Sturgess Fields • Latitude: 52.93159423 • Longitude: -1.4960289 • In 1930 the A38 was built at the Derby ring road • The area where the Sturgess School once occupied is now owned by the University of Derby • High abundance of wildflowers and grasses • A piece of the 10% of Wetland still left within the UK
The Importance of Butterflies • One of the countryside’s most important pollinators • Pollinate things such as Blackberry bushes, Canada Thistle, Common Ragwort • Food source for Birds, Amphibians and other predatory insects • Declining: 72% of species in the UK in the past 10 years • Valuable environmental indicators
The threats facing British Butterflies • Roost within long grasses during cool or rainy weather • Loss of habitat • Pesticides • Global warming
What I did in my two years • 80+ hours of data collection and analysis • Over 10 individual surveys each year • Attained humane survey practices • Learned how to ID some of our most well known British species of Butterflies and some of their food plants • Gained practical experience both in habitat management and in my surveying skills • Gained contacts outside of the University • Put me onto a butterfly survey at the Avenue in Chesterfield with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
References Dover, J. W., Sparks, T. H. & Greatorex-Davies, J. N. (1997) The importance of shelter for butterflies in open landscapes, Journal of Insect Conservation, 1(2), pp. 89-97. Dover, J., Sotherton, N. & Gobbett, K.A.Y. (1990) Reduced pesticide inputs on cereal field margins: the effects on butterfly abundance, Ecological Entomology, 15(1), pp. 17-24.
