Fact File
Like so many of our native invertebrates, the marsh fritillary butterfly is in decline with habitat loss and regular cutting of meadows being seen as the main contributors. Critically, these butterflies rely on a delicate purple flower, called devil’s-bit scabious, on which to lay their eggs and feed their newly hatched young. North Wiltshire continues to be a bastion for this otherwise dwindling species of butterfly.
So when an opportunity arose to purchase Braydon Forest, protecting both the woodland from development and the home of this rare species, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust seized it. The Biffa Award Partnership Scheme granted the Trust £442,941. The funding was used to purchase 44.61 acres of woodland and to enhance the habitat with use of green hay and plug planting. The site will be restored to create a wildflower haven where the fritillary marsh butterfly may thrive for years to come.
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