Planting trees to save butterflies

We’ve been planting Elm trees at Dinton Pastures, Charvil Meadows and Riverside Park in Earley as part of a project co-ordinated by the Upper Thames branch of Butterfly Conservation.

White-letter Hearstreak butterflies depend on Elms. But as Dutch Elm Disease (DED) has wiped out the majority of these trees, this has also led to a steep fall in the number of these creatures.

The young Elms being planted have been selected for their resistance to DED. Since the project started three years ago, 170 of them have been planted across the region, 20 of these in our borough. The aim is to create Elm corridors linking the surviving colonies of this butterfly species.

Elms were once an iconic feature of the British countryside and their restoration is something we hope will benefit many generations to come.

We’d like to thank the community groups who’ve been helping with the planting, including the Wokingham District Veteran Tree Association and Earley Environmental Group.

Private landowners can also take part by growing an Elm tree on their property. To do so, contact: www.upperthames-butterflies.org.uk

If you see a White-letter Hairstreak butterfly, please contact Butterfly Conservation or log it with the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre (TVERC): www.tverc.org/cms/content/share-your-records