You’re invited to take part in a special Brown Hairstreak Butterfly Egg Hunt Training  session on Thursday, 7 November 2024, at Bolshayne Farm, Southleigh Road, Colyton.

This free event, hosted in collaboration with Devon Wildlife Trust’s Saving Devon’s Treescapes, Devon Biological Records Centre, and Butterfly Conservation, is an excellent opportunity to learn about a local species while contributing to its conservation.

📅 Event Details:

• Location: Bolshayne Farm, Southleigh Road, Colyton
• Date: Thursday, 7 November 2024
• Morning Training Session: Time: 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

  Learn to identify and record the distinctive white eggs of the brown hairstreak butterfly, one of the Elusive Eight Species in East Devon National Landscape’s Species Recovery Programme. This session will be led by Jack Rivers from the Devon Biological Records Centre, who will cover the butterfly’s ecology and explain how to participate in our monitoring program throughout the winter.

• If you’re new to egg hunting, this training is perfect for you, and all are welcome! For those who would like to learn a bit before the event or refresh their existing skills, a recorded online training session is available on YouTube. If you’re already familiar with egg hunting, please contact Lindsay ([email protected]) to register your survey areas and begin recording using our online platform: Treescapes (devontreescapes.com).

This is a free event, but booking is required. Please reserve your spot here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/brown-hairstreak-butterfly-monitoring-training-east-devon-tickets

Optional Afternoon Egg Hunt:

• Afternoon egg-hunt session: Time: 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

  After lunch, stay for an exciting opportunity to put your new skills into practice by searching for the eggs in the hedgerows of Bolshayne Farm. Last year, we found over 40 eggs—let’s see if we can beat that number this year! Please let Ruth Worsley know if you plan to attend the afternoon session: email [email protected]

Egg hunting along our hedgerows is a lovely and valuable way to spend a winter walk while helping wildlife. This simple survey contributes vital data, making you a valued citizen scientist.

Bolshayne Farm is a privately owned farm, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to John Walker for allowing us to hold this event here. John manages his hedges sympathetically for the brown hairstreak butterfly and other wildlife, making it an ideal location for our activities.