Butterfly Business

BC Sussex Chairman, Nigel Symington

Saturday was the AGM of the Sussex Branch of Butterfly Conservation. Always a good day out for the Captain and me.    Nigel dealt quickly and efficiently with the necessary business and then we settled down to hear two excellent speakers - Neil Hulme  - and Adrian Thomas.  Both are passionate and knowledgeable about their subject and know how to enthuse others.

Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria selene, Park Corner Heath 2011

Neil spoke about the loss to Sussex of the Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary, and of the efforts being made to save the Pearl Bordered, which is right on the brink.
http://butterfly-conservation.org/48-8765/help-save-sussex-pearls.html

Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Boloria euphrosyne, Rewell Wood 2013

And Adrian talked about the vast resource that our gardens can be for wildlife - and pointed out that a wild garden does not have to be wild, as such.
http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/wildlife/homesforwildlife/b/gardeningforwildlife/default.aspx

In between the talks we had tea and cakes - lovely cakes - I provided a fruit cake and it all went.  I was able to take an empty plate home with me.

And Jamie Burston was there with his amazing artwork.  He kindly donated one as a raffle prize.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamieburston/

Captain B donated a copy of his 2017 Calendar.

There was no meeting Sunday as it was the Assembly at Haysbridge on Saturday, to which I did not get...  Feel guilty about it, but I do always go with Captain B to the Butterfly AGM.  But I did get to the Field Service meeting that had been arranged instead.  I worked with another Sue and we did an hour and a half, and covered our assigned territory.