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Volunteers build new bridge at butterfly reserve so they can cut the grass
Nature-loving volunteers have hand-built a new bridge at a butterfly nature reserve - so they can cut the grass.
Local branch members for Butterfly Conservation constructed the wooden walkway over a seasonal stream at the charity's historic Millhoppers Pasture site between Luton and Aylesbury.
The Herts & Middlesex Branch is now inviting people to come and test out the bridge, enjoy the reserve and spot some of its 25 species of butterfly and 400 moths this spring.
Volunteer Chris Hilling, a professional cabinet maker and joiner, had been fixing a previous dilapidated bridge over the brook for years and was glad to finally replace it.
Chris said: “I’ve done joinery and built staircases but never a bridge: for most of us this was stuff that we’d never done before and it was a physical and logistical challenge, but hugely rewarding. The team did an incredible job and we’re extremely pleased now.”
Millhoppers Pasture, just outside the village of Long Marston, was bought by Butterfly Conservation in 1998 thanks to a grant from Dacorum Borough Council and fundraising by residents.
The site was dedicated to wildlife artist and Hemel Hempstead resident Gordon Beningfield, who was then president of the charity.
This rare plot of ancient, unimproved grassland is only three acres but home to an unusually wide range of butterflies including the Common Blue, Marbled White and Ringlet, as well as 1,000 other species including buzzards, sparrowhawks, hawk-moths and dragonflies.
Some hedgerows on the site are thought to date back to Tudor times and a black poplar tree near the pond is thought to be more than 350 years old.
Perhaps surprisingly, one of the main reasons Butterfly Conservation installed a new bridge was to be able to cut the grass: in order to maintain the precious grassland habitat, the volunteers regularly trim the open areas using brush cutters to stop it getting overgrown.
As a result, the grass hosts wildflowers such as Cowslip, Knapweed, Devil's-bit Scabious and Bird's-foot Trefoil, which attract butterflies and other pollinators.
The previous bridge over the brook had been deteriorating for years and was becoming a risk, so the charity applied for funding to replace it to the Dacorum Shared Prosperity Fund managed by Community Action Dacorum in Hemel Hempstead, and was awarded £5,000.
Over the winter, 11 volunteers helped to bring in materials, prepare the site and build the entire new bridge from scratch.
The new bridge could one day allow the branch to try grazing cattle on the site which can be a very effective way to manage grassland for butterflies. In the meantime, it also makes it more accessible for all visitors.
Chris added: "I very much enjoyed participating in the project. It has been a real team effort and shows what volunteers can do both for local people and for Butterfly Conservation."
Since the 1970s, 80% of the UK's native butterfly species have declined in abundance, distribution or both. The main cause is loss of habitat.
Dave Wainwright, Butterfly Conservation's Head of Nature Recovery for England, said: "This might only be a little bridge, but it really does transform what this nature reserve can be: it not only looks a lot better than the battered old bridge, it also allows people to safely access the entire site and get all the benefits of spending time in nature - learning about wildlife, getting exercise or just escaping for a while and getting a bit of mental wellbeing.
"We are so grateful to all the fantastic local volunteers who gave their time to make this happen over the winter, and we hope that they and all our other visitors will enjoy the benefits for years to come."
Find out more about Butterfly Conservation's work at butterfly-conservation.org.