Project to protect rare butterfly

The site is the only colony left in the Teign Valley

A Devon nature charity is to start work on a £44,000 three-year project to help protect a rare butterfly.

The money will be spent on habitat management at Devon Wildlife Trust's Dunsford nature reserve in a bid to boost High Brown fritillary numbers.

The site is the only colony left in the Teign Valley and one of only 50 in the UK and there are concerns about the rate of its decline.

The money has been awarded by Biffa through its Biffaward fund.

'Important species'

DWT's Andrew Bakere said: "This is such an important species of butterfly that it is vital that we do all we can to protect and enhance its habitats here in Devon.

"We only count on average around 30 individuals in any one season here at Dunsford, so over the next three years we hope there will be a significant increase following this work. "

The work at Dunsford will focus on management of bracken to increase the numbers of violets, the food plant of the butterfly's larva along with management of scrub.