Level
Days
LDN B
Centre
16-July
Sat
Date
£37
Cost
London’s Butterflies in Bushy Park
FSC London uses the evolving and
vibrant mix of buildings, spaces
and parks to inspire and educate,
at sites across London including
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park,
Bushy Park, Greenwich Park and
The Regent’s Park.
The Royal Parks © Indusfoto Ltd
Course Overview
What butterflies can be found in London? What do butterflies need to survive? How can you help
conserve them? This course provides an introduction to butterfly natural history, identification and
conservation, using a mix of indoor activities and presentations, plus fieldwork observing butterflies in
the varied habitats at Bushy Park.
Course Description
Butterflies are beautiful and fascinating creatures, and good indicators of the health of the
environment. Around 30 species are resident in London, with others turning up as occasional migrants.
This course provides an introduction to butterfly natural history, identification and conservation, using a
mix of indoor activities and presentations, plus fieldwork observing butterflies in the varied habitats at
Bushy Park.
The course will help you understand how butterflies use their habitats, and how you can find and
identify them. We will also look at the opportunities for conserving butterflies in gardens and parks, and
how to get involved with recording and monitoring them.
Butterflies are an approachable and popular group, and anyone can play a role in studying and
conserving them – this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge needed to enjoy watching
and recording butterflies.
By the end of this course participants will:
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Be more familiar with the butterflies found in the London area
Understand what resources they require and the most important habitats for them
Know how to find and identify butterflies in the field
Be able to carry out recording and monitoring of butterflies
Know what can be done to help conserve butterfly populations
Tel: 020 3130 0469 E-mail: [email protected]
London’s Butterflies in Bushy Park
Timetable
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0930 Registration
1000 Welcome, Health and Safety & Introduction
1020 Presentation - butterfly natural history, finding and recognising butterflies
1100 Field Session 1- exploring habitats, finding and recognising butterflies in practice
1230 Lunch
1330 Field Session 2 - recording & monitoring butterflies, conservation of butterflies & their habitats
1530 Summary – a chance to ask more questions
1600 Course finishes
What to Bring
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Lunch & plenty to drink.
Suitable clothing & footwear, waterproofs or sun cream as appropriate!
Notebook and pencil
Small rucksack to carry personal items
Not essential, but if you have them: binoculars (small, close-focusing), insect net, butterfly field
guides, digital camera
There are lots of good butterfly books available; here are some recommendations:
 Pocket Guide to the Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland, by Richard Lewington (British Wildlife
Publishing, second edition 2015)
 Guide to the butterflies of Britain, by John Bebbington and Richard Lewington (FSC 1998)
 Philip's Guide to Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas (Philip’s, 2007)
 Britain’s Butterflies: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Britain and Ireland (2nd edtion) David nerwland
and Robert Still (WildGuodes, 2010)
 The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland (3rd Edition), by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington (British
Wildlife Publishing, 2014)
And if you’re after an app rather than a book, try:
 iRecord Butterflies
Health and Safety
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There will be a member of staff with first aid training and access to a first aid kit
If you have special medical requirements please let us know as soon as possible
Please be aware that parks with Deer, can attract ticks. Please consider wearing long sleeved
tops and trousers even if the weather is nice and bring insect repellent.
About the Tutor
Martin Harvey tutors regularly for FSC. He is an ecologist specialising in insect conservation and
recording, and has also worked on many related projects including the isSpot website for The Open
University and iRecord for the Biological Records Centre. Martin is currently Moth recorder for
Berkshire.
How to Book
Tel: 020 3130 0469 E-mail: [email protected]
Use the FSC online booking system or contact FSC London
Tel: 020 3130 0469 E-mail: [email protected]