Rangers welcome increase in rare butterfly numbers

Dingy Skipper butterflies are thriving at Cannock Chase Country Park, according to rangers.

Rangers have a welcomed a boost in the population of a rare butterfly species following years of work to improve their habitat.

The number of Dingy Skipper butterflies surveyed at Cannock Chase Country Park had increased by more than 50% since the previous survey in 2023, according to Staffordshire County Council.

Bosses said the rise was significant, as there had been a national decline of 40% in the species since the 1970s.

Dingy Skippers are pollinators and thrive in areas with good biodiversity, a spokesperson for the authority said.

Cabinet member Hayley Coles praised the "years of careful management by our rangers and volunteers."

She said: "This work is testament to how vital conservation work is in protecting vulnerable species and creating healthy habitats where wildlife can flourish."

The butterflies favour open ground and wildflowers, which is one of the reasons why they have taken a particular liking to the Fives Valley area of Cannock Chase.

The site's history as former mining and military land has created the perfect conditions for the rare species to flourish, the council said.

Rangers have been working to protect and expand the habitat since the Dingy Skipper was first prioritised for conservation at the site in 2004.

Winter work has now begun to clear invading birch scrub from the grassland and bare ground needed for the butterfly's food plant, bird's-foot trefoil, to grow.

The council has also secured funding from organisations Butterfly Conservation and Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) to assist with further habitat management work, and will continue carrying out annual surveys to support the Dingy Skipper and other species at Cannock Chase.