Highland Council funding for rare butterfly project in Nairn
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A project to safeguard rare butterflies in Nairn – centred on a golf club previously recognised for its environmental efforts – has been awarded funding to take its work forward.
Highland Council has announced that Butterfly Conservation is among recipients of the second round of the 2023/2024 Highland Nature Restoration fund and will receive more than £16,000 for work aiming to save threatened species at Nairn Dunes East, land owned by Nairn Dunbar Golf Club.
Late last year the club was awarded the Nature Rich Scotland prize at the 2023 VIBES Scottish Environment Business Awards for its efforts to restore and preserve habitat and wildlife across the site as well as sustainable management practices.
The club has received five awards in the past two years for its commitment to nature and sustainability.
Pete Moore, chairman of the Highland branch of Butterfly Conservation, said the new funding boost will allow it to protect "incredibly rare species" by linking areas across the Moray Firth.
"It's all about biodiversity," he said. "Some of these species are really rare, like the Black Isle Groundling – a moth found only in the Moray Firth area – or the Small Blue and the Portland Moth.
"We are really keen to keep a sustainable population as numbers are declining.
He said Nairn Dunbar Golf Club was very supportive of its work to extend conservation efforts across a network of dunes systems including those at Culbin, Fort George and Coul Links.
Mr Moore said: "There is a chain of sand dune areas and it is really important for wildlife conservation to manage a whole landscape of suitable habitats rather than just small pockets here and there.
"One of the problems with sand dunes is that they become colonised by bushes like gorse and broom over time and, eventually, tree seedling. If you don't manage it in any way it will become woodland. If that happens you will lose those species of butterfilies and moths – as well as other species who rely on this habitat."
The funding will be used to pay for the removal of scrub and planting of wildflower seeds as well as the purchase of tools for future maintenance.
Dr Tom Prescott, head of Butterfly Conservation Scotland, said: “We have been very fortunate in being awarded NRF funding again this year.
"The Highland Council’s NRF funding has been instrumental in saving two threatened butterflies species, Small Blue and Dingy Skipper, at Logie Quarry on Balnagown Estate near Tain.
"The work funded much needed scrub clearance by contractors to allow the caterpillar foodplants of both species to flourish and the butterflies subsequently responding positively. Without Highland Council’s funding the two butterfly species are likely to have gone locally extinct."
He continued: “We hope to see similar results with this newly funded project where we will remove scrub and spread native grassland and wildflower seeds at various locations along the sand dunes east of Nairn.
"We hope to see the Greyling, Small Blue, Lunar Yellow Underwing, Portland Moth and the Black Isle Groundling numbers increase as a result of this work.”
After the initial work, Butterfly Conservation Scotland and Nairn Dunbar Golf Club will ensure cleared areas are kept open by organising volunteer work parties as and when required.
Submissions for the latest round of the Nature Restoration Fund – offering grants between £2000 and £25,000 to community groups and organisations which help restore wildlife and habitats in the region – are being accepted until January 29.
