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‘Here in the British Isles, an almost silent environmental
disaster has been taking place: one that, if not halted
now, will soon see the loss of that most beautiful and
fragile representation of nature – the butterfly.
‘1999 saw publication of ‘The Millennium Atlas
of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland’ – the
most comprehensive survey of butterflies ever undertaken.
After five years of recording, these findings have given
us an up to date assessment of our butterflies, the habitats
they live in and the threats they face.
‘The results make grim reading. Overall 71% of British
butterfly species have declined in the last 20 years.
Butterfly losses have outstripped those of birds and plants
and strongly support the theory that the world is experiencing
a mass extinction event of our own making. When the delicate
balance of nature is destroyed – as it has been
in so many natural places – the butterfly is almost
always one of the first to disappear. So, these findings
show the value of butterflies as highly sensitive, early
warning indicators of biodiversity loss.
Globally, these losses will be
catastrophic for mankind. Destruction of the rain forests
means not only the loss of countless species of animals
and plants; we are also denying ourselves the potential
benefits such diversity and abundance can bring.
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‘Something must be done now – our butterflies
are running out of time. Butterfly World Project Limited is committed
to the conservation of all Britain’s flora and fauna
but especially butterfly species.
The first stage in its strategy is to create butterfly
world, which will turn the spotlight on this
most delicate – and popular - of insects, to raise
awareness of the issues, harness the public will and show
just what can be done to restore the degraded habitats
upon which they depend.
Stage two will ripple outwards from butterfly world, as
profits flow out into world-wide conservation projects
and scientific studies like Dr Rothschild’s.
‘Raising the money needed to build butterfly world
will be an immense challenge. The Trust welcomes anyone
who would like to help us to help save these wonderful
insects for future generations to enjoy, and for the wider
benefit of mankind and the natural world, before it is
too late.’
Trustee - Butterfly World Project Limited
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