Nature Features

One of Britain's star butterflies has become a species of conservation concern. The silver-washed fritillary is the third largest of Britain's butterflies and is known for its dazzling courtship display. At Lower Woods near Wickwar in Gloucestershire work is underway to create the sort of habitat that will encourage the silver-washed fritillaries to flourish again. 

Naturalist and wildlife presenter Mike Dilger paid a visit to the ancient woodland in the height of summer to try to record the courtship display and check up on how the conservation project is going. Mike visits during the third week in July and you can see his reaction when the butterflies start their display in the video clip. The silver-washed fritillary used to be widespread across England and Wales but is now restricted to southern counties.

The drop in numbers has happened because of the decline in the traditional management of woods. The coppicing that maintained the open nature of many woodlands has stopped, making them too dark and overgrown for the fritillaries.  

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, which owns the seven-hundred-acre Lower Woods, has actively sought to improve conditions for the butterflies, both by coppicing and by keeping open the old dividing rides or trenches between the woods.

Mike Dilger explores...

As part of the ground-breaking BBC series The Nature of Britain, ecologist Mike Dilger will be discovering what can be done locally to preserve our regional habitats.

Mike Dilger

So while Alan Titchmarsh is taking the country-wide view, Mike will be bringing those in the West a slice of nature on their doorstep. 

In the last ten minutes of each programme, viewers in the BBC West (Points West) region will get tips from Mike about where to find outstanding local wildlife and what they can do to help preserve the natural world where they live.

Mike Dilger says: "From islands, to farms and moorlands to wetlands, it's not until you travel around Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire that you realise how many cracking habitats are packed into our neck of the woods.

"And if you only take the time to look, you'll see that it's all there to be discovered on your own doorstep.

"Not only did I track down some wonderful wildlife and superb natural behaviour, I also had the chance to meet a whole array of eco-warriors, whom with enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication are working behind the scenes to preserve the wonderful natural history heritage that we should be rightly proud of in the West Country."

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