An area within a wood cleared of trees, with a fire burning and some people standing around

Creating a glade at Alners Gorse Butterfly Reserve. Photo: Nigel Spring

We undertake a lot of different types of work to help butterflies and moths, both directly and indirectly, and are always grateful to receive offers of help with any of them:

Conservation work

Conservation work takes place on our four butterfly reserves and other sites across Dorset. See our Places and Events pages.

Butterfly and moth recording

We have many different schemes to suit you, whether you are a casual recorder or a dedicated enthusiast. See our Become a recorder page.

Record keeping

It’s essential to count the butterflies and moths, but there is a lot of follow-up work in data input, checking the results, putting them all together, analysing them, and seeing they go through to form part of the national database.

Committee members

Somebody has to run the group, and to see that members are welcomed and encouraged.

Education

We need to open up both young and older eyes to the plight of our lepidoptera. We work with schools, and we have an education stall that goes out to events.

Fundraising

We have a stall which attends some 20 events a year, as well as an on-going plant sale, and we apply for grants for specific pieces of work.

Awareness raising

People won’t help butterflies and moths unless they know about them, understand there are problems, and can tap into a way of doing something to help. This is carried out by giving talks, attending events, being on social media, distributing leaflets, publishing a newsletter, keeping the press in touch with what we are doing, and much more.

Group of four people round a table, one standing

Volunteer stuffing team. Photo: Lyn Pullen