Butterfly Conservation

Grafton Wood Restoration

Grafton Wood in Worcestershire, is the largest of the remnants of Feckenham wood, comprising 150 acres of hazel and ash coppice with oak standards. For the benefit of endangered local biodiversity and especially the nationally endangered Brown Hairstreak butterfly we have helped fund the reintroduction of coppice management and the reopening up of the rides to allow more light to reach the woodland floor. This is encouraging a better flora and therefore more invertebrates such as butterflies.

The Brown Hairstreak butterfly is now extinct from all surrounding counties and survives only in this small corner of Worcestershire breeeding on the sloe bushes around the edges of Grafton Wood and also on blackthorn hedgerows in the surrounding fields.

Woodland restoration including that by neighbouring landowners will continue to greatly assist the preservation of this species.

Grafton Wood.
Photo: © Butterfly Conservation

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