Members enjoyed an extremely interesting talk on Suffolk Butterflies by Peter Maddison (main image). Peter lives in Suffolk and has been a member of Butterfly Conservation for a number of years.
Accompanied by numerous slides of these colourful garden visitors, Peter’s talk gave an insight in to their various life cycles, favourite foods and general distribution.
Among the many butterflies described, were the Peacock, which overwinters by hibernating as an adult, the Painted Lady, which migrates from Morocco, Tunisia and Eqypt, and the Brimstone which has glycerine in its bloodstream allowing it to withstand frosts.
Peter shared lots of information on the types of nectar and pollen rich plants, which gardeners can use to attract and support butterflies and moths to their gardens. He highlighted the helpfulness of having plants like nettles, ivy and grasses, ideally in an undisturbed ‘wild area’ of a garden or allotment.
Peter finished his talk by encouraging members to consider recording their sightings of butterflies. Butterfly Conservation works, among other things, to record and share information on the health of butterfly populations across the UK. Anyone can get involved in their garden butterfly survey. To find our more www.butterfly-conservation.org
