New home for butterflies in Craven Arms
Butterflies, bees and other insects are set to dine in style at new specially designed garden.
West Midlands Butterfly Conservation volunteers have worked with staff at the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms to create what is thought to be the county's first public-access "pollinators’ garden and insect hotel" – an outdoor area dedicated to attracting the best of the bugs.
The garden includes specially selected plants, provided by Shrewsbury-based business CJ Wildlife, plus a nesting area for solitary bees and other pollinating insects.
Such bugs are in serious trouble in Britain, said Mike Williams of Butterfly Conservation, which is bad news not just for wildlife but also for us – as we rely on insects, including butterflies and moths, to pollinate the food that we eat.
He said: “Gardens can never replace natural habitats but we can play a part in helping pollinators by growing plants which are rich in nectar and pollen.
"We hope that this demonstration garden will inspire visitors to follow our example and introduce a similar range of plants into their own homes.
"Butterflies are declining nationally and Butterfly Conservation is also looking to recruit volunteers to assist with a new project aimed at conserving the wood white butterfly, which has its stronghold in Shropshire and neighbouring counties.”
Catherine Collier, general manager of Grow Cook Learn and the Discovery Centre, said the newly-installed garden was already buzzing with insects, including many butterflies.
She said: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting project and are grateful to West Midlands Butterfly Conservation and CJ Wildlife for their support.
"We look forward to welcoming visitors to the garden and hope that people will also take the opportunity to explore the butterflies and wild flowers in the adjacent Onny Meadows and to see what else our centre has to offer.”
Holly Doyle-Wilday from CJ Wildlife, added: “This idea particularly appealed to us as we are keen advocates of wildlife gardening and have already supported Butterfly Conservation in the publication of their recent Butterflies of the West Midlands book, in which we agreed to be species champions for both the peacock and red admiral butterfly, two of our best known garden butterflies.”
The Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre is open daily from 10am to 5pm. There will be a screening of a film on the rare wood white butterfly at 4pm on Wednesday.
